DST Stories Articles believes that readers deserve to know exactly what they are reading, who wrote it, how it was reported, and whether any commercial relationship exists. This page explains our content labeling system, funding model, and editorial practices in full.
Content Labels
Every piece of content published on DST carries a visible label identifying its type:
- Story — Original reported narrative journalism, verified and editorially produced
- Essay — First-person, opinion-based, or personal narrative; author’s perspective only
- Opinion — Commentary by named contributors; does not represent DST’s institutional view
- Sponsored — Paid content produced with a commercial partner; clearly separated from editorial
- Partner — Content produced within a sponsored series; sponsor disclosed
- Updated — Content revised after publication; update notice and timestamp attached
Funding & Ownership
DST Stories Articles is independently owned and operated by Deep Story Telling, LLC, a privately held media company registered in the State of New York. DST is not owned by, affiliated with, or funded by any political organization, government body, university, or public charity.
Our revenue comes from display advertising, sponsored content, reader subscriptions, and occasional journalism grants from recognized foundations. All significant funding sources are disclosed below and updated quarterly:
- Subscription revenue — Reader-supported memberships (DST Plus)
- Advertising — Programmatic and direct-sold display ads
- Sponsored content — Brand and institutional partnerships (all labeled)
- Grants — From recognized U.S. journalism foundations (disclosed individually)
Author Credentials & Conflicts
All DST articles carry a byline. Author bio pages disclose professional background, prior affiliations, and any conflicts of interest relevant to their published work. Guest contributors from advocacy organizations, corporations, or public institutions disclose their affiliation within the article.
Use of AI
DST may use AI-assisted tools for transcription, research assistance, grammar review, and image captioning. All AI-assisted content is reviewed, substantively edited, and signed off by a human journalist or editor before publication. DST does not publish AI-generated stories as original journalism. Any experimental AI-assisted format is disclosed clearly at the top of the piece.
Corrections Transparency
All corrections issued by DST are publicly archived at dststories.com/corrections. Published content is never silently altered. See our full Corrections & Updates Policy for details.
Questions
Transparency inquiries: [email protected]