Ethics and Standards

I'm a journalist, a professor and an AI trainer. Each of those jobs comes with a responsibility to be straight with you about how I work, who pays me and where AI shows up in what I make. Here's all of it.

Coverage

Content on my platforms falls into two categories: editorial and sponsored. Editorial content is work I choose to make on my own, with zero input from any outside party. Sponsored content is work a brand or client pays me to create. Sponsored content is always clearly labeled as an ad or paid partnership. No exceptions.

Ad Disclosure

If it's sponsored, I say so. I will never accept a brand deal that asks me not to disclose it. Hiding a paid relationship violates Federal Trade Commission guidelines and, more importantly, your trust. I also turn down partnerships that conflict with my work as a journalist. If I can't stand behind a product or the deal compromises my independence, it's a no.

Corrections

I work hard to get it right. When I get something wrong, I correct it clearly: in the caption, a pinned comment or an editor's note on the piece itself, depending on the platform.

How I Use AI

I train newsrooms, companies and students on how to use AI ethically, so I hold myself to the same standard I teach. None of my journalism is written by AI. AI tools may help me transcribe, research, outline, draft or edit some of my other content. AI never replaces my reporting or my judgment. I fact-check anything an AI tool touches. I disclose AI's role whenever it matters to your understanding of the work. Judging when it matters is part of my job, and I hold that judgment to the same standard I teach.

Questions

If you have a question about my work or think I've fallen short of any of this, email me at emailoliviasmithonline@gmail.com.