Screening
Adverse media screening explained
How negative-news screening complements sanctions and PEP checks, and how to keep it proportionate.
The FLIORE Compliance Desk
Family-office compliance research
5 min read
Updated 2026-07-01
Key takeaways
- Adverse media surfaces risk that lists miss.
- It is inherently noisy and needs human judgement.
- Proportionality matters — screen depth to risk.
Beyond the lists
Sanctions and PEP lists are backward-looking and finite. Adverse media screening scans news and public records for negative information — fraud, investigations, links to financial crime — that no list yet reflects.
Keeping it proportionate
Negative-news screening is noisy: common names and old stories generate false hits. Match depth to risk, and document the review rather than chasing every result.
FAQ
Is adverse media mandatory?
For higher-risk relationships it is expected practice under enhanced due diligence.
Sources
- Wolfsberg guidance — Adverse media in due diligence.
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