Policies
RLF Communications Policy and Practice Guidelines
THE PURPOSE OF OUR GUIDELINES
The Royal Literary Fund’s mission is simple.
We believe professional writers should be able to sustain themselves and thrive, even when times are hard. The RLF offers financial support, advice and earning opportunities across the UK, enabling writers to keep writing and to share their skills with others.
- We believe all writers who seek assistance from us should be able to do so without stigma.
- We are inclusive and work with and support writers from all backgrounds.
- We believe writers in public education and the community can foster a deeper appreciation of the power of the written word within society.
We believe writers matter because writing matters.
The literary landscape has seen a significant change in dialogue and what is expected from the organisations within the sector that represent and support professional writers and their work. These themes are wide and varied and cover everything from censorship to freedom of expression to the rise of AI and its impact on the creative profession.
As a charitable organisation that works with and helps many writers impacted by these issues, we feel it is imperative that we clearly outline our position and the scope of our responsibilities towards such conversations.
As a charity, our prime mission has been to help writers in financial need. We are also committed to advancing public education and elevating UK writers to the global majority. Therefore, we will focus on commenting on such issues within this mission.
This allows us to focus our communication and engage only where we are informed and can make a difference in protecting professional writers who seek our help and educate our wider audience.
This document applies to comments, statements and information shared on
communications channels and social media accounts owned by the Royal Literary Fund. This policy does not apply to information that staff, contracted employees, Fellows, or RLF representatives may share on their personal accounts. For information on this, see our Policy page on our website at rlf.org.uk.
Our Approach
If the RLF is asked to comment publicly or release a statement about our position on a subject, we may in doing so wish to share third-party information on behalf of other organisations or individuals. Our decision for when and how to comment or share information publicly is not always straightforward and our decision-making process begins with relevant internal stakeholders and is ultimately approved by senior management, and if necessary, also the general committee of trustees.
We consider all requests thoughtfully and will always ensure private dialogue with any individuals and organisations involved and aim to provide a clear and reasoned explanation of our decision-making process and position, where possible. We will not enter public debate on our reasons for choosing to respond or not respond to an issue and retain the right to protect the privacy of our staff, trustees, beneficiaries or Fellows regarding confidential matters that relate to any public response we make.
When We Comment
This section explains when and why the RLF does or does not comment publicly on issues, and in what circumstances.
We annually deliver over £5 million in grants, education, and outreach programmes. Our mission is to offer financial support, advice and earning opportunities across the UK, enabling writers to keep writing and to share their skills with others.
As a not-for-profit organisation with a small core team of staff, we focus our actions on where we can make a positive impact on the lives of professional writers who may need short-term to long-term financial support, whether because they are in debt, facing reduced income, or unable to write due to a change in circumstances, sickness, disability, or age. This includes highlighting the realities and issues professional writers face today in supporting themselves financially.
Sharing Information
We share a wide range of information on our website, in our newsletters, and on our social media platforms, which form most of our communications and publicly available information.
We do not accept sponsorship, advertising or promote paid-for services from third parties, nor do we fund literary awards or comment on political or social events which do not directly impact the lives of the professional writers we support.
We commission writers to produce editorial for our digital platforms. Any opinions or views expressed in these commissioned articles are treated as independent and not representative of the RLF’s own position or views.
Advocacy and Campaigning
As the RLF has either given grants or contracted many professional writers over the years, we may speak out publicly on issues that affect the rights and interests of professional writers and where they align with our work and the Royal Charter.
As our beneficiaries and Fellows come from various backgrounds, career stages, and writing genres, we are also aware they will have a diverse range of experience and opinions. We factor this into our communications, especially when considering whether to comment on an issue. On rare occasions, an issue would be particularly divisive, the RLF would be unlikely to comment publicly unless we felt the collective voice would benefit the profession or our work.
When considering public statements, our priority will be where the RLF can make the most difference and where we are most informed about the needs of the professional writer today.
Protecting the individual interests of writers
We support writers and may give statements to events or issues in relation to financial support and earning opportunities for our beneficiaries or Fellows. On issues of copyright, publishing contracts, royalties, freedom of speech, censorship, we defer to the literary non-profit organisations whose mandate is specific in supporting these needs: Society of Authors, Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society, Royal Society of Literature, Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, English PEN and PEN International.
General Political Issues
We are sometimes invited to comment publicly or to release statements on issues of a more general political nature, not directly or primarily related to writers. Where appropriate, we may seek to release a joint statement as a collective of literary non-profit organisations whose mission is to protect the lives of writers in the UK. We will not comment on a topic or issue unless it directly impacts our core mission or affects an individual working for the RLF. We would not normally comment on anything broader than this remit. For example, we would not express a view on a general election, a war in a foreign country, or the death of a controversial figure in the wider artistic or political sphere.
We respect the right to freedom of expression by any staff member, trustee, beneficiary or Fellow who may comment on such areas outside our remit. However, we would not condone any public view or comment by a staff member, trustee, beneficiary or Fellow that suggests we supported such a view or were incorrectly involved or impacted in some way.
The RLF is not a human rights organisation nor a free speech organisation. If appropriate, we would follow the lead of organisations that are at the forefront of these issues, such as PEN, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. We would consider sharing campaigns, information, and news from these organisations only if there is direct involvement with our mission.
Requests For Comment
To journalists, media organisations and others:
- We can only deal with requests from journalists and media concerning statements related to the RLF and issues or challenges related to the business of helping professional writers through our grants, education, and outreach programmes.
- Please note that the RLF’s staff do not release statements without discussing them with the Marketing and Communications team and Chief Executive. If any of our staff receive requests for the RLF to release a statement, they will pass this on to the Marketing and Communications team for consideration.
- We may ask for supporting information or material to understand the situation or issue raised.
- Any statement or comment will need to be approved by senior management via our normal channels.
How we do this
If we are requested by any individual, media outlet, journalist or organisation to comment publicly, release a statement or share information, the RLF will consider several factors, including (but not limited to) our key guidelines outlined below:
KEY GUIDELINES
- Relevancy to our mission
How an issue may impact our mission to help professional writers in financial need and our commitment to fostering a deeper appreciation of the power of the written word within society.
- Influence, impact and opportunity
Whether our experience and any public statement could influence or challenge the issue and what the impact or outcome of a public statement would be.
- Focus and remit
Whether it would be appropriate to intervene privately and directly on behalf of a beneficiary or Fellow who might be the subject of an issue raised. And whether another organisation or individual is better placed to comment or if a statement might have greater impact if made in partnership with other organisations. If the actions or behaviour of a beneficiary or Fellow is a direct result from their work or interaction with our the RLF and its staff.
- Capacity and timing of a response
Whether we can respond within a meaningful timeframe and contact parties involved for comment to be able to issue a statement.
- Our risk and reputation
Whether a statement or comment risks making the situation worse or provoke a damaging or aggressive reaction, along with any legal considerations and reputational risks of releasing a statement or comment.
- Impact on others
Whether our comment on any issue threatens our work and/or relationship with beneficiaries and Fellows, or whether a statement from the RLF would unintentionally endorse an opinion, product or service.
- Setting a precedent
Whether releasing a statement or comment for one situation or issue would set an expectation to comment on all similar cases or topics in the future.
We consider all requests thoughtfully and will always prioritise private dialogue before considering any public statement. We will endeavour to provide a clear and reasoned explanation of our decision-making process and position and will not enter any public debate on our reasons for responding.
If we choose to make a public comment or release a statement, there are many ways we might do this. These include, but are not limited to our:
- Official websites
- Social media
- Newsletters
- Issuing a press statement
- Speaking directly to the press and media
Policy – What We Share
The RLF often shares information about third-party activities and offers. However, we are under no obligation to share everything we are asked to, even when the request comes from a close strategic partner.
When considering whether to share third-party information, we will assess whether the request:
- Aligns with the RLF’s mission and values.
- Helps the RLF to progress its strategic priorities.
- Directly benefits RLF beneficiaries, Fellows or subscribers
- Fits with RLF schedules and does not clash with or detract from planned activities.
- Is presented with full information that is transparent, up-to-date and comprehensive.
Please note we cannot recommend rates or fees, or give financial advice although we do provide observed rates to writers, we commission to write articles for the RLF and can signpost writers to our Writer Resources directory on our website. We also do not publish a ‘blacklist’ of organisations or individuals such as publishers, agents or any other service providers.
We are keen to maintain a reputation for independence and to avoid favouring writers or Fellows. However, if someone publishes a post in support for the RLF or something that supports or aligns with our position, then we might like or share that on social media.
Privacy Statement
Those accessing and interacting with the RLF website agree to our Terms of Use, which, together with our Privacy Statement, govern the RLF’s relationship with service users.
If we choose to share a piece of information, there are many ways it might be shared, including (but not limited to) our:
- Official websites
- Social media
- Newsletters
- Guides, reports and resources
- Word-of-mouth
- Press and media
We will include a disclaimer about any information we share, which makes it clear that we are not responsible for the content of external links. However, we appreciate that this is not excuse ourselves from responsibility and due diligence before we share anything on any of our platforms. Furthermore, we are mindful that people trust the RLF, and so when we do share a link or information that fits in with this policy – disclaimer or not – we understand that people are more likely to trust it than if they find the information elsewhere.
User Generated Content
Our beneficiaries, Fellows and staff are encouraged to be respectful of others if they share their professional experiences, both positive and negative, and to broaden discussion and support each other when writing any commissioned articles for the RLF.
Writers are asked to be kind and courteous and respect others. We will not publish anything that would be considered as hate speech or any form of prejudicial rhetoric.
For further information, see our Dignity and Respect guidance.