Public-Relations or Financial Advice
Chapter 3: Avoiding Conflicts in Our Editorial Work
Option Cutter editorial staff do not provide public-relations strategy, media coaching, or reputation management for brands we cover or might cover—see endorsement rules for quote use. Freelancers with dual PR careers must not cross streams on the same product category without leadership approval. This section applies across wearables, smart home, phones, and every category where readers rely on Option Cutter comparisons, Top Picks, and Content Egg buy paths alongside honest verdict prose.
Personalized financial advice—stock picks, crypto tips, insurance product recommendations to individuals—is outside our role. Editorial may explain how a subscription plan prices over time without telling a specific reader to buy shares in a public company.
Tax, legal, and medical questions from readers belong to licensed professionals, not review authors. Wearable heart-rate context stays educational, not diagnostic, consistent with legal boundaries on health claims.
Manufacturers sometimes request “how to improve our Amazon listing”; that is merchandising consulting, not journalism. Decline or route to non-editorial business development with clear separation.
If you previously consulted for a brand, disclose and avoid assigning yourself their competitor comparisons.
Newsletter sponsorships and podcast ads sold by our business team stay out of editorial templates; reviewers do not script ad reads that mention products they are actively scoring in a comparison.
If a manufacturer asks for “SEO help” on a product page, route them to public documentation; editorial does not optimize competitor-disparaging copy for their storefront.
Wellness influencers asking for supplement stacks in comments get general education, not personalized medical or investment picks from our bylined reviewers. Questions about how these standards apply to your assignment belong in editor chat before publish. Document decisions in editor notes or the CMS so future updates honor the same rule; repeat issues escalate to leadership and may affect samples, affiliate-heavy beats, or outside-work approvals.
We do not coach brands on beating negative coverage or optimizing competitor attack ads. Freelancers with PR day jobs must not cross streams on the same category without leadership approval and clear separation of clients and deadlines. Document decisions in editor notes or the CMS so future updates honor the same standard.
Editorial may explain subscription math, total cost of ownership, and warranty economics without telling a specific reader to buy a stock or token. Personalized investing, tax, and medical advice belong to licensed professionals, not review authors on site. Document decisions in editor notes or the CMS so future updates honor the same standard.
Requests to “fix Amazon bullets” or improve competitor listings are merchandising consulting, not journalism. Route business-development inquiries away from reviewers mid-comparison who need focus on test notes, not client SEO. Document decisions in editor notes or the CMS so future updates honor the same standard.
Wellness comments on site should stay educational. Directing individuals to supplement stacks or treatment plans in comment replies crosses into advice territory we do not provide under any byline or official account handle. Document decisions in editor notes or the CMS so future updates honor the same standard.