Our vetting follows best practices and guidelines set out by journalism institutions.
Here’s our seven-step vetting process:
1. Featured requires a LinkedIn profile so that we can rely on LinkedIn’s existing and extensive vetting system.
2. Featured confirms the email address and location linked to the account.
3. Ensure the details on Featured align with those listed on LinkedIn.
4. For licensed professions (e.g., medicine, law, real estate), verify the license status and standing with the relevant state board.
5. Review previously published content, such as news articles, to verify the individual’s expertise and ensure consistency in name/title.
6. For authors, validate the book title and authorship on an independent book publisher or seller website.
7. If any of these steps cannot be completed, request additional information as needed. In certain cases, an interview may be required.
Bottom line: we vet and approve experts based on merit, and not whether someone pays us. Unlike most pay-for-play models, Featured is never compensated for whether someone gets placed in an article. To further safeguard against any pay-for-play practices, journalists and publishers always have final say in who they feature and how they feature them.
This way, Featured and newsrooms are fully aligned around a primary objective of featuring the best insights from the most qualified experts.