Why a story was declined

Every story and every photo is read by a person before it is published. When we decline something, we send you a message, "Your submission was reviewed", with the reason. You find it in your notifications and in your email.

Common reasons for a story

• It is not first-hand. It is not your own trip, or parts of it are copied from somewhere else.
• It promotes a business that you own or work for.
• It contains contact details: phone numbers, addresses, or links to businesses. Those belong on the business pages.
• It has little practical detail. Readers want to know what things cost, how long they took, and what surprised you.
• It could put someone at risk, for example by naming or showing people who could be endangered, or by describing checkpoints or security positions.
• It breaks the community guidelines, for example with offensive language.

Common reasons for a photo

Each photo is judged on its own, and the message tells you why a photo was declined:

• not your own photo;
• blurred or too dark;
• unsafe to publish;
• a duplicate;
• not of this place.

A story can still be published when some or all of its photos are declined.

What you can do

• Read the reason in the message.
• Fix the problem and send the story again as a new story. See Write and submit a story.
• For photos, check the rules in Add photos and the photo rights agreement before you try again.
• If you think we made a mistake, contact ATIS with the title of your story: WhatsApp +971508944657.
• A declined story does not count against you. Many good stories are published at the second attempt.