Disclosure &
transparency.
What we label, how we label it, and why. OMN's Disclosure Policy covers sponsored content, affiliate links, comped experiences, conflicts of interest, AI assistance, and the use of anonymous sources — across all OMN titles, in line with U.S. FTC and EU / German separation requirements.
A reader should always know
why a piece exists.
Editorial decisions, commercial relationships, conflicts of interest, and tools used in production each shape what gets published. We tell our readers when any of those forces are in play, so they can read our work knowing exactly what it is.
Nine things we always identify.
1.Ownership & funding
Every OMN title carries a masthead identifying the publishing entity (OMN Group LLC or OMN Media Management LTD). Material funders, sponsors, and strategic investors are listed on our About page. Where a piece involves an investor, owner, or affiliated company, that connection is stated openly in the article.
2.Sponsored content & paid partnerships
Any content that a third party pays to produce, place, or influence is labeled Sponsored, Paid Partnership, or Anzeige (DE), in the language of the local edition. Specifically:
- A persistent label appears above the headline, not only at the bottom of the page.
- The sponsoring brand is named, in plain language, in the same location.
- Sponsored items in lists, newsletters, and social posts carry the same label format.
- Sponsored content is visually distinguished from editorial content (background, typography, or border) so it is unambiguous on every surface.
- Sponsored content does not count toward our fact-checking, editorial verdicts, or editorial awards. Sponsors do not receive copy approval over independent editorial.
- Editorial staff may not directly produce sponsored content for the brand category they cover. Branded content is produced by a separate commercial studio team.
3.Affiliate links & commerce
Some OMN titles include affiliate links in product reviews, gift guides, and recommendations. When we use them:
- A standing notice at the top of any commerce-style article states that purchases via links on the page may earn OMN a commission.
- Affiliate participation never determines a verdict. Products we don't recommend are not promoted just because they pay better commissions.
- Where a review involves a free sample or loan, this is also disclosed under Section 4.
- Networks currently used: [ list of affiliate networks / programs ].
4.Press trips, samples & comped experiences
When a piece is based on a trip, event, meal, hotel stay, demo unit, or sample provided at no cost (or below market cost) by the subject of the reporting, the article says so. Where reasonable, we tell readers what was covered (flights, hotel, on-the-ground access) and what we paid for ourselves.
- We accept comped experiences only where they would otherwise be inaccessible and where independent reporting would not be possible without them.
- Acceptance never implies favorable coverage.
- Editors retain the right to publish critical findings about the host.
- We do not accept cash, equity, or speaking fees from a subject of current or imminent coverage.
5.Conflicts of interest
Personal, financial, family, or professional relationships that could reasonably influence a piece — or appear to — are disclosed in the article and the author bio. Where a conflict is significant, the staff member is removed from the story (see Editorial Code §7).
- Staff disclose stock holdings, advisory roles, board seats, and material crypto positions relating to companies in their coverage area.
- Family relationships with subjects of reporting are disclosed.
- Speaking fees and outside paid engagements are disclosed and, where they create a conflict, declined.
6.Political & advocacy disclosures
OMN does not campaign for parties, candidates, or single-issue causes. For political content specifically:
- Political advertising is labeled in accordance with U.S. FTC guidance, applicable state law, and EU rules on political advertising transparency.
- Staff political donations, campaign work, and party affiliations are governed by our Editorial Code (§2) and disclosed in any article where they could reasonably bear on the reporting.
- Op-eds and clearly labeled commentary are visually distinguished from news reporting and identified as Opinion, Commentary, or Meinung (DE).
7.Use of AI & synthetic media
OMN operates an in-house AI publishing pipeline (see Technology). Disclosure rules:
- Where AI played a material role in producing a piece — substantial drafting, translation, summarization, or data analysis — the article carries a note identifying what AI did and which human editor stands behind the final piece.
- Routine, non-substantive uses (spell-check, mechanical translation review, transcription) are not individually flagged but are governed by the same human-review requirement.
- AI-generated or AI-altered images, audio, or video used in editorial content are labeled as such, in line with our Editorial Code §11 and applicable AI labeling laws (including the EU AI Act).
- We do not publish synthetic media as if it were authentic record.
8.Anonymous & confidential sources
Where a source cannot be named, we tell readers why anonymity was granted (safety, retaliation, legal exposure, confidentiality of negotiations) and what we did to verify the information independently. We do not rely on a single anonymous source for a significant factual claim, and we protect the identity of confidential sources without exception.
9.Corrections, updates & retractions
Errors and material updates are disclosed openly on the live article with a dated note explaining what changed and why. We never quietly edit a published piece to hide a mistake. The full corrections and updates standard is set out in our Editorial Code, Part Two §9.
Where the label lives on the page.
A disclosure that is hard to find isn't a disclosure. We follow a consistent set of placement rules so the reader sees the label in the same moment they see the headline — on every surface where the piece appears.
Position
- Sponsored / paid-partnership labels sit above the headline, in the same visual block, on the article page, in feeds, and in newsletters.
- Affiliate notices sit above the body, before the first product mention.
- Press-trip and comped-experience disclosures appear in the article's opening section or at the foot of the byline.
- Conflicts of interest are disclosed both in the article and in the author's bio.
- AI-assistance notes appear at the foot of the article in a standing format and in the byline metadata.
Language
- Labels use plain, unambiguous words. We do not use coded or industry-only terms.
- Each language edition uses the term most familiar in that market — for example Sponsored, Paid Partnership, Werbung, Anzeige, Promu, or Sponsorisé.
- Where space is restricted (mobile, social), we use the same label format, never a shortened or softened version.
Visual treatment
- Sponsored content uses a distinct background, border, or typographic mark so it cannot be mistaken for editorial.
- The OMN masthead and editorial bylines are reserved for editorial content. Branded content is signed by the commercial studio, not by editorial staff.
- Charts and visualizations carry their data source and any material methodological caveats on the image itself, not only in the caption.
Persistence
- Disclosures stay with a piece for its lifetime. They are not removed when a piece is reshared, archived, or republished.
- Where a piece is syndicated to a partner, we require the partner to carry the same disclosure verbatim.
Spot a missing disclosure? Tell us.
If you believe an OMN piece is missing a disclosure — or that a label is unclear, mis-positioned, or absent on a syndicated copy — we want to know. We treat disclosure failures with the same seriousness as factual errors.
How to report
- Email standards@omngroup.com with a link to the piece and a brief description of the issue.
- We acknowledge every substantive report and aim to respond within five business days.
- Verified failures are corrected on the live article with a dated disclosure note, and surfaced — not buried — like any other material correction.
- Repeated or systemic failures are escalated to senior editorial leadership for independent review.
Related documents
Read alongside the Editorial Code & Publication Standards, our Privacy Policy, and the Imprint.