Wirtschaftsquelle is committed to transparency in all forms of commercial content. This Sponsored Content Policy explains how we label and separate paid material from our independent journalism, how sponsored content differs from affiliate links, and what you can expect from us regarding editorial independence. All enquiries about sponsored opportunities should be directed to sponsored@wirtschaftsquelle.de.
What is sponsored content?
Sponsored content is material that has been paid for by a third-party advertiser and published on Wirtschaftsquelle under a clear commercial arrangement. It may take the form of an article, video, infographic or other editorial-style asset produced by or in collaboration with the sponsor. Unlike our regular news reporting, sponsored content is not drafted by our editorial team, but it is reviewed by our editorial staff to ensure it meets minimum standards for accuracy and does not mislead readers. The sponsor has no control over the rest of our coverage.
How is sponsored content labelled?
Every piece of sponsored content is clearly labelled at the top of the page with a visible disclosure such as “Sponsored”, “Paid Content” or “Advertising Feature”. The label appears before the headline and is distinct from our standard article tags. The disclosure is maintained throughout the piece and in any previews, social-media posts or newsletter mentions. Sponsored articles may also carry a note explaining the nature of the commercial arrangement. Readers will never encounter a sponsored piece that is presented as ordinary editorial content.
What is the difference between sponsored content and affiliate links?
Sponsored content involves an advertiser paying us to publish a specific piece of material. Affiliate links, by contrast, are embedded in our regular editorial articles: when a reader clicks an affiliate link and makes a purchase, Wirtschaftsquelle may earn a small commission. Affiliate links are disclosed at the bottom of each article that contains them, but the product or service mentioned is chosen by our journalists based on editorial merit, not payment. Sponsored content is paid for upfront, while affiliate commissions are performance-based. Both are clearly distinguished from one another and from our independent reporting, as explained in our Advertising & Affiliate Disclosure.
What you can expect from us
Editorial independence is non-negotiable at Wirtschaftsquelle. Our Chefredaktör Daniel Simon and the newsroom team make all editorial decisions without influence from advertisers or sponsors. Sponsored content never determines the conclusions of our news articles, political analysis or cultural coverage. Fact-checking and source verification, overseen by Christina Scholz as head of fact-checking, apply to our editorial content only; sponsored material is reviewed for compliance with our labelling and legal standards but is not subject to the same verification process. Any commercial relationship is disclosed, and our journalists are never required to write favourable coverage in exchange for sponsorship. For more about our independent standards, see our Editorial Policy.
Who do I contact about sponsored content?
All proposals, enquiries and complaints regarding sponsored content should be sent to sponsored@wirtschaftsquelle.de. Our partnerships team reviews each request against our commercial guidelines and ensures that any sponsored material complies with this policy. For general advertising or partnership queries, you can also visit our Contact page. If you believe a sponsored piece is not clearly labelled or breaches our standards, please email complaints@wirtschaftsquelle.de and our complaints procedure will apply, as outlined in our Complaints Procedure.
Questions or concerns?
If you have any questions about how we handle sponsored content, or if you spot something that does not appear properly labelled, please get in touch with our editorial team at editorial@wirtschaftsquelle.de or with our fact-checking desk at factcheck@wirtschaftsquelle.de. You can also write to our Chefredaktör Daniel Simon directly at anders.lindqvist@wirtschaftsquelle.de. We take reader trust seriously and will respond promptly to any concerns about the separation of commercial material from our independent journalism. For more about our funding and ownership, see Ownership & Funding.