Research vs creator media
Two different permission worlds. Mixing them confuses academics and angers writers. The public Media Policy already says research is not the creator media process—this page is how you route mail.
| Creator media (Tier A / B) | Research / scholarly |
|---|---|
| Goal: feature a public letter in podcast, video, social, etc. | Goal: study submissions, quote in thesis/paper, datasets, IRB-adjacent questions. |
| Entry: media@ + Media Policy process. | Entry: Terms (e.g. § 6.3 research consent) + often support@ or the contact path described in Terms—not the Tier A checklist. |
| Tools: checklist, approval template, Drive binder. Approvals require honoring on-letter trigger/content warnings and adding reasonable extras for the medium. | Tools: consent language, counsel review for methodology and PII risk. |
What to say (template tone)
“Thanks for reaching out. Scholarly use follows our research consent path in the Terms (Section 6.3) and isn’t the same as our creator media process. I’m copying this to [support@ / designated research contact] so the right person can respond.”
Do not
- Send the Tier A approval email to a PhD student quoting letters in a dissertation.
- Tell a YouTuber to “use the research path” to skip permission—they are not the same.
Playbook shortcut: Playbook H — researchers.