Publicity Policy for Member Publications

Publicity standards established by the Board of Directors of the Audit Bureau of Circulations are set forth in ABC Bylaws and Rules, Chapter A, "Publicity Standards - All Publications." In general, the publicity standards are applicable to all figures, data or statements for which ABC authority is stated or implied.

The board knows that publisher members often wish to advertise or publicize unusual circulation values, supported by their own records but not audited or reviewed by ABC, or not required to be reported in ABC Publisher's Statements and thus not subject to ABC audit.

Therefore, in addition to the publicity standards, it is ABC policy, established by the Board of Directors, to ask all publisher members, in their publicity and promotion, to adhere to the spirit as well as the text of the publicity standards, whether or not ABC authority is stated or implied.

Members are advised that a basic confidential review of planned publicity referring to circulation is available in advance upon request to Bureau headquarters, without charge, to aid members in meeting both the requirements and the spirit of the publicity standards.

Publicity so reviewed and approved may carry the ABC insigne provided that figures not yet submitted to the Bureau, or not required to be submitted, are unmistakably identified as being presented by the author or publication and not by ABC.

Publicity of any publisher member may be examined by the Bureau at the request of any other member. Upon completion of such review, and whenever the publicity does not meet either the language of the standards or the ethics implicit in ABC membership, the managing director may notify the member upon whose behalf the publicity has appeared both of the requirements of the publicity standards and of this policy. He may refer to the Board of Directors for study and suitable action the promotion and publicity of the member which is deemed questionable under reasonable standards of fair and open competition.

NOTE: The statement asks publisher members to adhere to the spirit, as well as the text, of the publicity rules whether or not ABC authority is stated or implied in their publicity or promotion piece. This policy does not modify the Publicity Rules in Chapter A.