Corporate Relations Policy

“Either we’re always credible, or we’re never reliable.” At Xataka On, we believe in editorial independence and transparency when dealing with brands and information. That’s why we’ve drafted this code of conduct and made it public.

Dealing with Brands and Ensuring Independence

While our publication is supported by advertising, we have strict policies in place to ensure that advertising doesn’t influence our content.

The editorial team at Xataka On operates independently from Webedia’s Branded Content team, which has its own writers.

Furthermore, any Xataka On contributors with any kind of professional or financial relationship with a brand or company are strictly prohibited from writing about that brand or company or anything related to it on our site.

Device Testing

At Xataka On, almost all the devices we test are either owned by us or loaned to us by brands. The brand is responsible for shipping the device to us and collecting it after testing. Sometimes, the brand may offer to let us keep the product. In that case, we default to our policy and prefer to return it. As a rule, Xataka On never keeps a product. If the brand refuses to collect the device, we store it for potential future use in comparisons or buying guides.

Additionally, some companies lend us basic equipment for extended periods, such as graphic cards, which are returned following the same rules as other devices after we’re done testing them.

Please refer to our review policy for more details on our device testing process.

Attending Events

Brands often host media presentations, sometimes even abroad, and bring together representatives from the press from multiple countries. In these cases, the brands usually cover travel expenses from the airport of origin, including hotel accommodations at the destination, if necessary, as well as meals.

At Xataka On, we only accept these types of invitations if:

• The event is of interest for publication in Xataka On.
• There’s no prior commitment or obligation to cover the event. If we don’t find anything suitable to write about, we’re free to pass.

In the case of tech expo events where we’re invited by a manufacturer but there are multiple brands present, we accept brands that cover our travel expenses if and only if:

• The event is of interest for publication in Xataka On.
• There’s no prior commitment or obligation to cover the event. If we don’t find anything suitable to write about, we’re free to pass.
• There are no restrictions on covering other products presented at the same event.

Sometimes, brands invite us to attend sports competitions or other leisure events that they sponsor or organize. We always decline the invitation if an event isn’t newsworthy for Xataka On.

Gifts

Many PR or marketing departments often give gifts to media reporters. We believe that there’s a difference between providing product samples (merchandising, swag packs, etc.) and trying to influence the media.

At Xataka On, we’re committed to establishing mechanisms to ensure that this practice doesn’t create an unhealthy relationship between the company and the media. We will return any gift with a value exceeding $50 to the sender.

In cases where we can’t or don’t feel comfortable reviewing a device, brands may offer it to us as a gift. However, we politely decline unless we intend to review the product (and will return it after the review).

Interviews

From time to time, reporters at Xataka On conduct interviews with corporate executives, members of association, or individuals who are authorities in their respective fields and have something interesting to share.

All our interviews are subject to the following conditions:

• We only accept interviews that are newsworthy for Xataka On.
• We don’t accept written or form-based interviews. They must be conducted face-to-face or via video conference. In other words, the interaction must happen in real-time with the interviewee.
• We don’t provide the interview questions in advance.
• We don’t allow the interviewee or anyone from their team to review the interview before its publication.