Advertising Disclosure — How We Label Paid Content
Quick answer: This advertising disclosure explains how DMCNews.org labels every form of paid or company-supplied content — advertising, sponsored content, press releases and affiliate links — so readers always know what is commercial and what is independent. We follow FTC guidance, we do not sell undisclosed or disguised paid links, and nothing we publish is financial advice.
Key takeaways
- What this covers: how we disclose advertising, sponsored content, press releases and affiliate links.
- Standard: clear labelling in line with the FTC endorsement guidelines.
- Separation: paid content is kept apart from independent reporting.
- No hidden deals: we do not sell undisclosed or disguised paid links.
- Not advice: commercial or editorial, nothing here is financial advice.
Why we disclose
Disclosure exists so you can weigh what you read with the full picture. When money is involved in a piece of content, you have a right to know, and regulators expect it. DMCNews.org treats clear labelling as a baseline of honest publishing, not an afterthought — especially in crypto, where undisclosed promotion is unfortunately common and where the cost of being misled can be a real financial loss. Labelling is also simply fair: it lets a genuinely good product earn attention on honest terms, and it stops paid messaging from borrowing the credibility of independent journalism it did not earn.
How we label advertising
Display and campaign advertising is presented as advertising and is visually distinct from editorial content, so you can tell at a glance what is a paid placement and what is not. Advertisers pay for placement and visibility; they do not buy our opinion or influence what our team reports. An advert appearing on the site is not an endorsement of the product by DMCNews.org, in the same way that an advert in a newspaper is not the paper vouching for what it promotes. If an advert ever gave the impression of being editorial, we would treat that as a labelling failure to correct.
How we label sponsored content
Every sponsored article carries a clear label identifying it as sponsored and, where relevant, naming the sponsor. Sponsored content is produced with a commercial partner and reviewed by us for accuracy, but it reflects the sponsor’s message and is never presented as our independent reporting. The label is not fine print: it is meant to be noticed, so that you read the piece knowing who stands behind it and can weigh its claims accordingly. Reviewing sponsored work for accuracy is not the same as endorsing the product, and we do not want the label to imply that it is.
How we label press releases
A press release is company-supplied news, and we label it as such. Publishing a release means the announcement met our basic compliance and accuracy checks — it does not mean DMCNews.org endorses the project or verifies every claim as we would in independent reporting. Readers should treat a release as what it is: the company’s own account of its news, useful and often accurate, but told from the company’s point of view. Where a release makes a significant factual claim, the responsibility for that claim rests with the company that issued it, and we make that boundary clear through labelling rather than leaving it to be assumed.
How we handle affiliate links
Some links to third-party services may be affiliate links, meaning we could earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you act on them. Where this applies we disclose it, and an affiliate relationship never determines our coverage or opinion. You can read more about our commercial model on our disclosure page and in how we make money.
How to tell commercial from independent
In practice, the simplest signal is the label. If a piece is advertising, sponsored or company-supplied, it will say so clearly at or near the top, and often in the byline or a note within the content. Independent reporting carries no such label because no one paid for it. If you ever see something on DMCNews.org where the status is not obvious, treat that as a question worth asking us rather than an ambiguity to guess about — we would consider an unclear label a mistake to fix, not a grey area to defend.
What we will not do
We will not publish undisclosed paid content, sell undisclosed or disguised paid links, or allow a payment to alter our independent reporting. We will not accept placements that make guaranteed-return claims or that we cannot present honestly, and we will not let an affiliate relationship dictate whether or how we cover something. If a request would mislead readers, we decline it, regardless of the budget attached. These limits are not negotiable, because they are the whole point of publishing a disclosure like this one.
Financial content and your responsibility
Crypto is a YMYL topic, meaning the information can affect your money and wellbeing. Whether a piece is paid or editorial, we keep risk context intact and never present content as financial advice, a recommendation or a guarantee. A disclosed commercial relationship does not change this: a labelled advert or sponsored article is still not advice, and should not be read as a signal to buy, sell or hold anything. The value of crypto assets can fall as well as rise, and past performance is no guide to the future. Always do your own research and consider professional guidance before making financial decisions.
Questions and contact
If you are unsure whether a piece is commercial, or want to understand how something was produced, contact us via our contact page or at [email protected]. We would rather answer a question than leave any doubt. If you believe a placement is not labelled clearly enough, tell us and we will look into it, because getting disclosure right is an ongoing responsibility rather than a box ticked once. This page describes our standard approach; where a specific arrangement needs a fuller note, we add one to the content itself so the relevant detail sits where you will see it.
Disclosure at DMCNews.org is maintained by a named editorial team that keeps paid content clearly marked. You can read more via our about us, our team, editorial standards, how we handle disclosure. Every paid or company-supplied placement on DMCNews.org is labelled in line with the FTC endorsement guidelines, kept clearly separate from independent reporting, and is never presented as financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
What does this advertising disclosure cover?
How DMCNews.org labels advertising, sponsored content, press releases and affiliate links so you can tell commercial from independent content.
How will I know if content is paid?
Paid content is clearly labelled — as advertising, sponsored or company-supplied — following FTC guidance.
Does advertising affect your reporting?
No. Advertising and sponsorship are kept separate from independent coverage, which is never for sale.
What is an affiliate link?
A link that may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. We disclose affiliate links and never let them shape our opinion.
Do you sell hidden paid links?
No. We do not sell undisclosed or disguised paid links; commercial links are disclosed.
Is any labelled content financial advice?
No. Nothing on DMCNews.org, paid or editorial, is financial advice or a recommendation.
How do I ask about a specific piece?
Contact us via our contact page or at [email protected].