Featured News exists to give publishers real expert perspectives they can trust. To protect that, every perspective, byline, and interview profile goes through an automated quality check before an editor sees it, and a human editor approves every story before it reaches publishers. This article explains what that check looks for.
Is my submission checked for AI?
Yes. All submissions are screened with Pangram AI detection, and we do not accept or consider content that scores 70% or higher on Pangram's AI-likelihood score.
This applies to every expert on every plan. Plan tier is never a factor in whether a submission passes.
The simplest way to stay well under the threshold is to write your answer yourself, in your own voice, from your own experience. Perspectives that draw on a specific client situation, a number from your own work, or something you saw first-hand tend to read as unmistakably human, and they also make for stronger stories.
What else does the quality check look for?
Beyond the AI check, here are the other elements that make a submission ready to publish:
Original. Text has not been published before, by you or anyone else. Submissions are also checked against your own answers from the last 90 days.
Ready to use as written. Your text should be the answer itself, not a pitch or a note to the editor. Offers to talk, be interviewed, or send more don't fit this format.
Specific. Include at least one concrete example, number, date, or first-hand detail.
Not promotional. Skip calls to action and marketing descriptors like "leading" or "award-winning." Featured adds your name, title, and company, so there is no need to introduce yourself in the text.
On topic. Respond to the question that was asked. Responses that stray off topic or are unrelated to the question won't be selected.
Aligned with your expertise. Speak to your own field and first-hand experience. Health, medical, mental health, nutrition, and fitness information comes from licensed professionals.
Safe to publish. Do not include or identify private individuals, personal data, or defamatory claims. Responses should not include regulated advice aimed at a reader's own situation (for example, a diagnosis, a specific investment call, or advice on someone's legal case).
How should my submission be formatted?
For all three content types, submissions should be in plain prose English. Please do not include bullet lists or headers inside a perspective or answer (bylines over 800 words may use subheads). Opinions are labeled as your own. Perspectives contain no links; in bylines and interviews, links support facts only and are never promotional or affiliate links.
What happens if my submission is rejected?
If we reject a Bylined Article or Interview Profile, our editorial team will provide a rejection reason, and in some cases may include additional feedback.
Who can participate in Featured News?
Experts that represent themselves under their own name, title, and company, or an agency represents a client with their consent. Submissions made under a persona or as a brand aren't eligible for selection.
Connectively experts need at least four confirmed Verification Signals on their profile, including a real-person headshot and either an identity match or an email match. HARO sources pass the same automated check plus editor review. If you'd like to be eligible, completing your Connectively profile verification is the best first step.
We also quote only one expert per company in a story.
Can I edit my submission after it's accepted?
It depends on the content type. Perspectives are submitted through the Questions page, and follow our standing flow. This means you could delete an answer and resubmit if the deadline has not passed.
Featured News questions will be marked with the "May close early" tag, so experts should not rely on the delete function.
Bylined Articles and Interviews CANNOT be edited after submission. Submissions for these content types are final and should always reflect work that is ready to be published as-is.
The editor may make light trims and fix grammar or spelling, but never rewrites your quote beyond that. Your attributed name, title, and company are matched to your expert profile.