How to use this page
This editorial policy explains exactly how Sonderbriefing works so you know what to expect from our journalism and how to hold us accountable. Whether you are a regular reader or new to the site, you can refer to it to understand our process, distinguish between types of content, and find the right channel for feedback or complaints.
We have structured the policy around the questions we hear most often. Each section answers one question directly, then gives you the detail you need. At the end you will find a short summary and links to related policies.
How do we decide what to publish?
Every article at Sonderbriefing is selected, reported, written, reviewed and fact-checked before publication under the oversight of Chefredaktör Tim Zimmermann. The process begins with our editorial team identifying stories that matter to Swedish and international readers, rooted in verifiable facts and public interest.
News stories are assigned by Redaktionschef Sarah Fuchs, who also conducts the headline review. Political coverage is overseen by Politikredaktör Sebastian Roth, economic reporting by Wirtschaftreporter Melanie Schumacher, and culture and society pieces by Kultur- och samhällsredaktör Alexander Graf. Each article is drafted by a named writer, then reviewed by an editor and fact-checked by Laura Arnold’s fact-checking team before publication. Corrections are handled through the process described in our Corrections Policy.
How do we distinguish news from opinion, features and sponsored content?
We label every piece of content clearly so you can immediately tell whether it is a news report, an analysis, an opinion piece, a feature, or commercial material such as sponsored content or affiliate links. This distinction is fundamental to our trustworthiness.
News articles present verified facts without commentary. Opinion pieces are clearly marked as such and carry the writer’s byline and a note that the views are their own. Features go deeper on a topic but remain journalistic in nature. Sponsored content is labelled “Sponsored” at the top and bottom, and we never allow commercial partners to influence editorial conclusions. Affiliate links are disclosed at the point of use. For full details, see our Sponsored Content Policy and Advertising & Affiliate Disclosure.
What does article-level transparency look like?
Every article on Sonderbriefing displays the author’s name, the date of publication, and a note of any updates or corrections made after publication. We also include a link to the writer’s profile on our team page, so you can see their background and expertise.
If an article has been corrected, we append a correction notice at the top explaining what changed and why. If a significant error is found, we issue a full correction and, where appropriate, a retraction. The date and nature of all corrections are recorded in our Corrections Policy. For fact-checking methodology, see our Fact-Checking Policy.
How do we maintain independence from commercial interests?
Sonderbriefing is owned by Sonderbriefi Media Ltd., a private company registered in Gibraltar (company number C 92009, Malta Business Registry), but our editorial decisions are made entirely independently. No advertiser, sponsor, partner or owner influences what we cover or how we cover it.
Our funding comes from display advertising, affiliate links, commercial partnerships, sponsored content, newsletter sponsorships and content licensing. All commercial material is clearly labelled, and we never accept payment for editorial coverage. Our independence is further detailed in our Ownership & Funding page and our Advertising & Affiliate Disclosure.
How is artificial intelligence used in our journalism?
AI-assisted tools may support research, editing, formatting, translation, metadata generation, headline options, summaries and transcription, but never replace human editorial judgement. Every piece of published editorial content is reviewed and approved by a human editor.
We explicitly prohibit AI from fabricating quotes, sources, interviews, bylines, author experience or expert profiles. Any use of AI is disclosed in our AI & Automation Policy, which also explains the specific safeguards we apply.
How do we attribute and credit our writers?
Every article carries the byline of the named writer who drafted it. Our team page lists all editorial staff with their roles and contact details, so you can verify who is responsible for what.
The Chefredaktör, Tim Zimmermann, has overall responsibility for editorial standards and publication decisions. The editorial team includes Sarah Fuchs (Redaktionschef), Sebastian Roth (Politikredaktör), Melanie Schumacher (Wirtschaftreporter), Alexander Graf (Kultur- och samhällsredaktör), and Laura Arnold (Ansvarig för faktagranskning). You can find their full profiles on our Our Team page.
How this works in practice
Imagine you read an article about the Swedish government’s new housing policy. The byline shows it was written by Sebastian Roth, our Politikredaktör. At the top of the article you see the publication date, a note that it was updated once to correct a figure, and a link to Sebastian’s profile. At the bottom, there is a clear label saying “Fact-checked by Laura Arnold.” If that article contained an affiliate link to a report, it would be marked “Affiliate link – we may earn a commission.” If the article were sponsored by a housing association, it would say “Sponsored content” in bold at the top and bottom. You could then, if you wished, contact our fact-checking team via factcheck@sonderbriefing.de to ask about a specific source. This level of transparency is applied to every piece we publish.
What should I do if I have a complaint?
If you believe an article contains an error, breaches our editorial standards, or misrepresents a subject, please contact our editorial team. We take all complaints seriously and will acknowledge them within two business days.
The first point of contact is our complaints email: complaints@sonderbriefing.de. Alternatively, you can write to Chefredaktör Tim Zimmermann at anders.lindqvist@sonderbriefing.de for matters requiring his direct oversight. Our full complaints procedure is outlined in the Complaints Procedure. For factual errors, you can also contact our fact-checking team at factcheck@sonderbriefing.de.
In short
Our editorial policy is built on transparency, independence and accountability. Every article is written by a named journalist, reviewed by an editor, fact-checked, and clearly labelled by type. We welcome your questions and complaints, and we commit to correcting mistakes openly and promptly.