For 44 years, the editors and writers at PCMag have delivered unbiased, thoughtful, expert-driven technology reviews and buying advice. Although we published our final print magazine issue in 2009, our website has remained completely free to our readers. But like any media company, PCMag is a business, and generating revenue is essential to supporting the world-class service journalism we provide. Earning and maintaining your trust is our top priority, which is why we believe in being transparent about how we work with advertisers and partners, and how we label revenue-adjacent content. Below is an overview of how we make money and the standards we fulfill to protect our editorial integrity. For more, read our Editorial Mission Statement.

Key Principles and Editorial Guardrails

  • Independence: Editorial coverage, including news, commentary, product reviews, recommendations, buying advice, and video is determined solely by our editorial team for the benefit of our audience, without any advertising, marketing, or other business considerations.

  • Transparency: Disclosures are always clear, conspicuous, and unambiguous to ensure that you understand when content is paid for by an advertiser, when independent content is made possible by an advertiser, or when our publisher earns a commission.

  • Clear Content Differentiation: We maintain a clear distinction between independent editorial content and paid or branded content. When independent editorial content is made possible by a partner, we tell you.

Affiliate Links
PCMag prides itself on independent, expert reviews and recommendations. Our product testing labs, writers, and editors use their years of product experience to recommend the best products, and to analyze whether deals on those products are actually any good. We may earn a commission when our audience purchases a product or service through a link promoted on our platforms (e.g., in product reviews, comparisons, roundups, or articles). 

We include a prominent disclosure before or in sight of the first link. Our standard disclosure language is as follows: PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

“Made Possible By”
We create original, unique, and insightful content based on our decades of experience covering various technology products and topics. Partners and advertisers can choose to support organic, editorial production of content in order to increase the breadth and depth of PCMag’s independent, human-authored journalism across key categories. 

In these cases, partners and advertisers do not have editorial control or pre-publishing approval, nor can they mandate inclusion of specific products or information not already chosen or planned by our editorial team. And at no point do advertisers view this content before it is published. Advertisers or partners may provide support for broad topics or specific categories, across various story types.

If a brand chooses to support our content onsite or on social media, we include a clear, visible disclosure with language explaining that it was made possible by a partner. 

Sponsored/Promoted Roundup & Gift Guide Placements
Some sponsors would like their products to be included or highlighted in our expert-written product roundups, gift guides, or deals coverage. If the sponsor’s product is already independently recommended by our journalists, they may pay a fee to be featured in a more visible spot on the page, and that entry will be clearly labeled with a disclosure. 

If the sponsor’s product is not already recommended by our journalists but aligns with our standards, sponsored placements sold by business teams are clearly labeled with appropriate disclosures to prevent implication of editorial endorsement.

These entries are clearly marked “Sponsored” or “Featured Deal.” On our product roundups, an information icon displays our editorial ethics disclaimer and links to that page.

Partner Offers
PCMag rigorously evaluates which deals bring the most value to our readers. Sometimes an advertiser will pay to have a deal considered by our editorial team. Our shopping experts then vet these deals and choose to cover them only if they meet our standards for both a recommendable product and a notable value. Writers and editors evaluating these deals are not aware that partners have submitted them through this program.

These articles are labeled “Partner Offer” and include the following on-page disclosure: “An advertiser paid for editorial consideration of this deal. Our experts vetted the deal based on our independent expertise. Because we determined that the deal will save you money, we covered it.” 

Paid Content (Including Branded Content, Custom Content, or Native Advertising)
PCMag’s in-house paid content studio, Brand X, creates work on behalf of advertisers and publishes content that is informed by the brand and is delivered in a tone that aligns with our audience interests. Advertisers pay a premium for creative control over production, product inclusion, point-of-view, visual design, and final pre-publishing approval. We always include a Brand X byline on those stories.

We clearly label paid content using FTC-compliant terms including “Advertisement,” or “Advertising Content from [Brand].” The standard on-page disclosure reads: The following content is brought to you by PCMag partners. If you buy a product featured here, we may earn an affiliate commission or other compensation.

About Our Expert



Source link