If you see a piece labelled as sponsored on Medienconnect, this page explains exactly what that label means, how the content is produced, and how it differs from our regular journalism. Use this policy as a guide to understand the boundaries we follow and how you can tell the difference between independent reporting and commercially supported material.
What is sponsored content and how is it labelled?
Sponsored content on Medienconnect is any editorial feature that has been funded by an external advertiser, partner, or sponsor. Every sponsored article, video, or newsletter carries a clear, visible label — for example “Sponsored by Company X” — placed at the top of the page and repeated in any social media promotion. The label is never hidden, abbreviated, or buried. The specific sponsor is named, and the piece is also marked in our automated tag system so readers can filter sponsored material if they wish.
All sponsored content is produced by our editorial team or by a named contributor under the same editorial standards that apply to our regular journalism. The sponsor has no control over the article’s facts, conclusions, or tone. No article that fails our fact-checking or editorial review process is published, regardless of payment. Julia Franke, our fact-checking editor, reviews every sponsored piece before it goes live.
How does sponsored content differ from affiliate links?
Affiliate links are links to third-party products or services that may earn Medienconnect a small commission if a reader makes a purchase. These are disclosed with a short note — such as “Affiliate link” — and are never part of a paid sponsorship arrangement. Sponsored content, by contrast, is a fixed-fee arrangement between the publisher and a sponsor for the creation and placement of a specific editorial piece. The two are treated separately in our systems and never mixed: an affiliate link is never placed inside a sponsored article unless the sponsor is also the merchant and the link is independently disclosed.
We maintain a separate Advertising and Affiliate Disclosure page that explains how our affiliate programme works and how readers can identify those links.
How this works in practice
Imagine a Swedish bank sponsors an article on household budgeting. The topic and angle are proposed by our editorial team — not by the bank — and assigned to Sandra Schmitt, our Wirtschaftreporter. Sandra drafts the piece, which is then reviewed by Chefredaktör Alexander Seidel and later fact-checked by Julia Franke. The finished article carries a label: “Sponsored by Example Bank”. The bank does not see the article before publication, nor does it influence any statistics, recommendations, or conclusions. If the article contains a link to the bank’s product, it is marked as an affiliate link separately, and the bank cannot require that link to be included. This separation is audited internally each quarter.
Who decides what gets published?
All editorial decisions — for both sponsored and independent content — are made by our editorial team, led by Chefredaktör Alexander Seidel. No sponsor, advertiser, or external party can override a decision to kill, edit, or delay a story. Our Editorial Policy and Fact‑Checking Policy apply equally to sponsored material. Revenue partnerships are handled by a separate commercial team, and there is a firewall between that team and the newsroom. Editors and reporters are never pressured to write favourably about a sponsor.
How is Medienconnect funded and who owns it?
Medienconnect is owned and operated by Medienconnec Media Ltd., a private company registered in Gibraltar (company number C 92009, Malta Business Registry). The registered office is Office 9, Business Centre, Valletta, 0000. Our funding comes from display advertising, affiliate links, commercial partnerships, sponsored content, newsletter sponsorships, and content licensing. Sponsored and commercial material is always clearly labelled, and commercial relationships never determine editorial conclusions. Full details are available on our Ownership and Funding page.
What if I have a question or concern about sponsored content?
If you spot a piece you believe is not properly labelled, or if you have a general question about our sponsored content practices, please email our commercial team directly at sponsored@medienconnect.de. For complaints about editorial accuracy — even in sponsored articles — use our Complaints Procedure. You can also reach us via the general contact page.
In short
Sponsored content on Medienconnect is paid for by an advertiser but produced under the same editorial rigour as all our journalism, with clear labelling and no sponsor interference. You can trust that every piece you read — sponsored or not — has passed our editorial and fact‑checking standards. If you ever have doubts, the labels and this policy are here to help you judge for yourself.