An announcement disclosure policy: a blank framework for control, sources, AI and corrections

A useful disclosure policy records facts about control, funding, sources and corrections. It does not paste one universal phrase onto every announcement. The blank framework below is for an organisation operating in England and was assembled from UK sources checked on 6 September 2026.

What to take away

1. Describe the item and route

Complete these fields before writing a label:

Independent editorial publication is not another box for the buyer to approve. Record supplied material and contact, but preserve the publisher's separate decision. Transmission, syndication and indexing must not be disclosed as earned endorsement.

2. Record commercial identification

Set out who commissioned, paid for and controlled the material, then ask the named advertising reviewer what identification is required in the actual setting.

CAP Code Section 2, rules 2.1 and 2.4, addresses obvious recognition and advertorials within its remit. The CMA's unfair commercial practices guidance, CMA207, paragraph 4.1 and following, also discusses failures to identify commercial intent in consumer-facing practices from 6 April 2025.

Use blank fields rather than a stock label:

3. Show authority, sources and conflicts

List the factual owner, primary records, data period, geography, limitations and approval history. Attribute a supplier statement or forecast to its maker. Add funding, sponsorship, gifts, client relationships, affiliate arrangements and personal interests that could affect how the item is understood.

CAP Code Section 3, rules 3.1, 3.3 and 3.7, covers substantiation and misleading presentation for marketing communications in scope. A source list is not enough if the headline or omission changes the overall impression. The editorial reviewer should connect each objective claim to evidence in the final layout.

4. Explain AI assistance only where factual

Record whether an AI system actually assisted research, drafting, translation, transcription, image work or distribution. If none was used, say so in the internal record rather than inventing a public notice.

Public disclosure is expected when AI use affects facts, wording, images or audience understanding. Record internally only when AI assisted without a material audience-facing effect. If it was used, fill in:

This is an editorial evidence rule, not a claim that UK law mandates one AI sentence for every release. Rights, privacy, accuracy, security and sector approval remain separate.

5. Provide accessible and usable disclosure

State the formats, reading order, language, captions or transcript needs, test, result and correction owner. Government accessible communication formats guidance was updated on 17 June 2026 and offers practical public-sector methods. Other organisations must obtain advice about their own duties rather than presenting that guidance as automatic legal clearance.

A disclosure hidden in an inaccessible attachment does not help the intended reader. Test it in the same route and context as the announcement.

6. Publish a correction and withdrawal route

Add a monitored contact, identity check, response owner, version log and escalation path. Define what the buyer can correct on its own newsroom, what a supplier can change under contract and what can only be requested from an independent publisher. Preserve the original and corrected evidence under the approved retention schedule.

Set recheck triggers for changed copy, payment, placement, sources, personal data, rights, AI use, sector status or regulator guidance. Until named UK legal, advertising, sector, privacy and PECR, IP, accessibility, security, commercial and editorial reviewers complete the blanks for the real announcement, the policy and release remain on hold.

Copy-ready blank template

Copy this block, replace each bracket with your facts, and keep the completed record.

Announcing legal entity: [name and evidence]
Approved subject and version: [record]
Route: [buyer newsroom / direct outreach / technical transmission / paid placement / monitoring]
Publisher control: [buyer / supplier / independent editor / unknown]
Payment or benefit: [payer, recipient, nature, terms]
Intended recipients: [defined population and geography]
Required identification wording: [reviewer decision]
Placement and prominence: [where and why]
Legal or Code basis: [exact source and scope]
Approval date and expiry: [date]
Authority and sources: [factual owner, primary records, data period, geography, limitations]
Conflicts and funding: [funding, sponsorship, gifts, client relationships, affiliate arrangements, personal interests]
AI task and tool/service: [exact use]
AI human reviewer and checks: [name, evidence]
AI source/provenance and rights review: [record]
AI personal or confidential data assessment: [decision]
AI material audience-facing limitation: [context-specific wording]
Accessibility formats and reading order: [formats, language, captions, transcript]
Accessibility test and result: [test, result, correction owner]
Correction contact and identity check: [monitored contact, response owner, version log, escalation path]
Retention and review: [approved retention schedule, recheck triggers]

Worked example (illustrative, not a real announcement):

Before you act

Common questions

When should AI assistance be disclosed?

Record whether an AI system actually assisted research, drafting, translation, transcription, image work or distribution. If none was used, say so in the internal record rather than inventing a public notice. This is an editorial evidence rule, not a claim that UK law mandates one AI sentence for every release.