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. AI tools may help me research, outline, draft or edit some of my content. AI never replaces my reporting, my judgment or my voice. 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.