The masthead

Advertise with us

The Coast Record is free to read, and clearly labelled local advertising is how it stays that way. If your business serves the Central Coast, this page sets out plainly what we offer, what we will not do, and how to start a conversation.

Who reads it

People who want to know what is actually happening where they live: the council decisions, the growth and transport that reshape the place, the coast and community, each story checked against the public record and linked to its source. It is a considered, local readership rather than a scrolling one. We do not publish audience figures we cannot stand behind, and we will not quote you an inflated one; if reach matters to your decision, ask and we will tell you honestly where the site is at.

Two ways to advertise

Clearly labelled display advertising. A defined advertising slot on the site, marked as advertising and kept separate from the journalism. It is your message in your words. It does not sit inside a story pretending to be one, and it never changes what we cover or how we cover it.

Sponsored content. A piece with a commercial arrangement behind it, written and fact-checked by us to exactly the standard of everything else on the site, and labelled as sponsored at the top. Every factual claim in it still links to a primary source. This works when there is a real, true and genuinely useful story to tell: a service the Coast did not have, work you have actually done, a thing you know that a neighbour would be glad to learn. It does not work as a page of adjectives.

What we will not do

The site’s independence is the thing you are actually reaching readers through, so we protect it. We do not write fake or paid-positive reviews, we do not run product-flogging or spin dressed as reporting, and we do not sell the byline: an arrangement buys a clearly labelled placement, never favourable coverage or a soft edit of our news. If a business wants flattering coverage without the label, the answer is no, with a link to how the site works. We would rather keep the reader’s trust than take the booking, because the trust is what makes the booking worth anything.

Disclosure, every time

Anything with a commercial relationship behind it is disclosed as such, in plain words, where it appears. That protects you as much as the reader: honestly disclosed advertising that meets a real standard is worth more than a plant a reader can smell. It is also simply the law we work under, and we would keep the rule regardless.

Rates and how to enquire

We tailor advertising to the business and the campaign rather than selling a fixed package, and we are glad to talk it through, including a discount for not-for-profits and community organisations. There is no obligation in asking. Use the advertising enquiry form, tell us a little about your business and what you have in mind, and we will come back to you.

For the fuller picture of how the site is made and the standards behind all of this, see how this site works.