News Editorial Guideline

Purpose of the News

In accordance with MarkLines' basic philosophy of “contributing to the development of the automotive industry and the creation of a prosperous society through information and services,” the News section provides useful news in an easy-to-read, compact format that is relevant to our customers’ businesses.

Specifically, we provide news related to the automotive industry (e.g. trends of global automakers, trends of global suppliers of components and materials, trends in the automotive markets of various countries, automotive policies of various countries, and automotive-related events such as motor shows).

To fulfill this role, we will adhere to the following:

Accuracy

We will provide factual and accurate information.

News sources
- We will create news based on official announcements and press releases from companies, government agencies, and various organizations, as well as MarkLines' own primary information (independent research, reporting, and interviews by our staff members having expert knowledge as well as benchmark information obtained from vehicle teardowns).
- In cases where there is no official announcement for a particular region or certain content, we will quote news from reputable media sources that have obtained permission to quote the content in compliance with copyright law. In all other cases, we will ensure the accuracy of the facts by obtaining information from multiple media sources.
- The source of any quote will be noted in the news report.
- When using AI technology as a supplementary tool, we require rigorous human fact-checking and editing processes to ensure the quality and accuracy of the content. Furthermore, if a significant portion of the generation process was conducted by AI, we will clearly indicate this to our readers.
Process
- We will ensure accuracy by having a peer review system in place and publishing news that satisfies our internal processes.
- At least two people, including the author and the reviewer, will confirm the content, based on their expertise.
- We will work closely with other departments within the company to verify the facts and provide accurate information.
- If there are any factual errors, we will correct them as soon as possible. We will also clearly indicate the corrections.

Independence, Impartiality and Neutrality

We will produce news related to the automotive industry that is within the scope clarified in advance within the company. We will not create news due to internal or external pressures that may undermine our customers’ trust in us.

Content
- We will mainly provide fresh information on trends of global automakers, trends of domestic and overseas suppliers of components and materials, trends of automotive markets in various countries, automotive policies in various countries, and automotive-related events such as motor shows.
- We will also provide other information that we deem useful for our customers' businesses. In doing so, we will make a sharp distinction between advertising and promotional content and factual content to ensure that we do not undermine our customers' trust in us or the independence of our news reporting principles.
- We will only publish news selected objectively, keeping in mind our goal of providing useful information to our customers.
- We go beyond simply reprinting official announcements, providing content that adds value through analysis using our own databases, background explanations based on expert knowledge, or independent reporting.
- When publishing sponsored content or advertising articles (tie-in articles), we will clearly display labels such as "Advertisement" or "PR" so that readers can easily identify them. Furthermore, advertisers will not influence our editorial policy in any way.
Expression
- We will not express ourselves for promotional purposes or make one-sided assertions and will remain neutral.
- We will follow social norms and will not use any expressions that may include discriminatory or prejudicial overtones.
- We will follow the formatting rules established within the company and try to use easy-to-understand expressions.
- We will maintain a monitoring system to prevent the spread of hate speech, harassment, violent content, and medically or legally unfounded rumors and misinformation.

Compliance

We will act ethically in accordance with laws and regulations.

Compliance with laws and regulations
- We will follow the law and public decency standards.
- We will follow internally established news production procedures and internal rules to ensure that the independence, impartiality and neutrality of our news is not compromised.
- We will not engage in any act that may undermine the trust of our customers, such as the wrongful transfer of money or goods.
Copyright
- We will distinguish between copyrighted material and factual material and produce news in accordance with our internal rules.
- Photographs will be taken from press releases along with news content and the sources will be noted.
- We will create and maintain an internal copyright verification tool.

(Updated by MarkLines Co., Ltd. Global Information Department, 2026.4.9)

(Prepared by MarkLines Co., Ltd. Global Information Department, 2020.11.1)