Editorial Guidelines
The China Box’s editorial staff reviews all press releases before distribution to ensure that content is newsworthy, accurate and in an acceptable press release format. Attention to the following guidelines will help your press release receive speedy approval and distribution on our platform.
The China Box press releases must contain a clear, timely, newsworthy or business-worthy angle and be free of advertising hype, direct address and spam. Press releases should incorporate the following features/qualities.
Common news angles include timely information about a new product or service, a business expansion or recent event, an organizational milestone like an anniversary or award or the issuance of a tip sheet or expert opinion on a topic currently in the news. The news announcement must be clearly stated in the headline.
The China Box press releases should be free of hype flags and direct address (i.e., “you,” “I,” “we,” etc.) unless used within a quotation from a spokesperson from a company or organization. Direct address is a flag that the content is an advertisement rather than a news release. Similarly, hype flags — exclamation points; hyperbolic product/service claims; descriptions of a product or service as AMAZING.
The China Box requires a case number, court of record, complaint number or other sufficient documentation for all press releases referencing legal action or criminal matters.
You are required to provide valid contact information, although press releases in China cannot usually contain information such as phone numbers, e-mail addresses or links/websites. The China Box will double check with the media as to whether or not the contact information can be added. If the answer is yes, we will submit the information along with the press release to the media.
In certain cases, such as with network marketing companies, with the use of a stock ticker symbol, or with major corporate announcements such as (but not limited to) those related to M&A, The China Box may require written authorization from a company executive before a press release is approved for distribution. Independent representatives of network marketing companies or party plan companies must always obtain the express consent of the company’s executive.
The China Box press releases ideally should be between 400 and 900 Chinese characters. The length of your release may affect its distribution, and press releases that are overly short or long may have trouble being indexed in the search engines. The news summary should also be limited to one or two sentences.
The China Box press releases should be free of spelling and grammatical errors, and should be written entirely in Chinese. Although jargon and technical terms are commonplace in natural language, make sure to include definitions for industry jargon so the average person can understand as well.
The China Box press releases cannot contain HTML tags and other formatting such as non-standard characters, tables or forced line breaks.
The news source is the company or organization issuing the release. If your agency, firm or business is distributing on behalf of a client, then the source would be the client’s company or organization’s name. It should also be clear how that company or organization relates to the news announcement. The news source information might be removed by either The China Box’s editor or the media’s editor.
The China Box does not recommend the use of email addresses within the body of the press release, as in China this is very rarely used. If an email address is included, our editorial team may delete it according to the media’s rules.
The China Box does not distribute
The China Box will not distribute content intended to harm or exact personal revenge against a person or group. The China Box does not accept press releases related to political, public policy and other sensitive matters, and if the release contains excessive hyperbole, it will not be distributed.
The China Box does not accept releases that contain links or attachments with extensions other than the following: jpeg, gif, png, tiff, bmp, ps, pdf, doc*,xl*, rtf, ppt, mpeg, mp* and mov.
To ensure the integrity of our service for all, The China Box does not accept content about sexually explicit material or products. Press releases should not contain references or links to explicitly sexual material, illegal material or profane language. Please note that all 18-and-older websites are considered sexually explicit.
Avoid getting caught in content filters because of the prominence, high volume or density of words and/or phrases that are frequently found in advertisements or unwanted e-mail (SPAM), or on non-newsworthy websites. Examples of these words and phrases include sexy(性感的), naked(裸体的), gamble(赌博), casino(赌场) drug taking(吸毒) etc.
Blog posts, general interest articles, “open letters” and the like usually lack attribution and/or news value and are not an appropriate press release format. However, they could be accepted by some sites, and you are welcome to send them through. The China Box will confirm with the sites and let you know whether or not they can be used.
All The China Box users must agree to submit only accurate information.
A press release can only be distributed once through The China Box. In addition, a significant majority of the content of each press release must be original. Using copyrighted content from other sources is a violation of The China Box’s Terms of Service.
The China Box only accepts press releases from law firms in which the firm is representing one of the parties in the case. The China Box does not accept press releases regarding legal cases from third party firms.
The China Box does not distribute content intended to harm or exact revenge upon an individual or group. This content is defined as anything deemed intended to: incite, advocate or express hatred, bigotry, racism or gratuitous violence; promote personal opinions attacking an individual or group; maliciously affect a company’s stock; or stalk, defame, defraud, degrade, shame or victimize an individual or group.
The China Box does not publish releases that promote or link to online gambling and related sites.
The China Box does not publish releases that promote or link to short term or other unsecured loan services.
The China Box does not accept releases from online pharmacies or websites that sell prescription drugs unless both the website and release explicitly state that a doctor’s prescription is required for purchase.
The China Box does not allow any unsafe or potentially hazardous weight loss products or ingredients cited on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Tainted Products list.
The China Box does not allow the following health supplement content, irrespective of any claims of legality:
All items listed appear on Google’s AdWords policy page regarding prohibited pharmaceuticals and supplements.
– Products that contain ephedra;
– Non-prescription products containing human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG);
– Herbal and dietary supplements with active pharmaceutical or dangerous ingredients;
– False or misleading health claims, including claims implying that a product is as effective as prescription drugs or controlled substances;
– Non-government approved products that are marketed in a way that implies that they’re safe or effective for use in preventing, curing or treating a particular disease or ailment;
– Products that have been subject to any government or regulatory action or warning;
– Products with names that are confusingly similar to an unapproved pharmaceutical or supplement or controlled substance;
– Low T and hormone replacement therapy products, unless prescribed by a doctor.
Here it is important to note that full disclosure of a product’s ingredients must be available inside the press release or at the associated website.
The China Box does not accept releases that promote get-rich-quick schemes.
Illegal Cell Phone or Tablet Unlocking: The China Box does not publish press releases that promote products or services regarding unlocking cell phones or tablets without carrier permission.
The China Box does not allow releases to promote or link to Black Hat SEO tactics and services. These types of services include, but are not limited to, keyword stuffing, link buying and selling, and paid social media followers.
The China Box does not publish releases that promote services that write research papers, essays, term papers or dissertations for a fee.
The China Box also reserves the right to remove news releases that are determined to have earned unnatural inbound links through participation in paid link schemes. On occasion The China Box will review client releases to ensure they remain compliant with search engine Webmaster Guidelines.
The China Box’s editorial staff reviews all press releases before distribution. The China Box editors have the final say in determining what content is appropriate for distribution on the The China Box platform. These guidelines are meant to supplement The China Box’s terms of service, which require users to be responsible for the content and accuracy of all information submitted to us.
Distribute your first release today! 🙂