Attention, class. Here’s today’s new word: “Native advertising.”
OK, that’s two words. But it’s one concept, and it has nothing to do with indigenous peoples.
Rather, it’s a phrase sprung on us by the wonky wordsmiths of Internet media, who also refer to it as “brand content.” Translated, this means that these particular web pages on news sites aren’t articles. They’re paid advertising.
But the advertisers are pushing news outlets not to be too explicit about distinguishing between genuine news items and ad hustles.
How? Money, of course.
In today’s web publications — from such newbies as BuzzFeed to the digital versions of mainstays like The New York Times — there’s a blurring of the line between the publications’ legitimate journalistic content and the faux “stories” that are provided by marketers and designed to look like real articles from non-biased news sources.
For readers and viewers, the questions are obvious: Whose stuff is this, and what can I trust?
The best ethical response by online publishers would be to draw a bright line around all “branded content.” Perhaps they could add some flashing neon lights and honking horns to announce: “This is an ad.”
But no.
While Internet publishers say they seek journalistic integrity, they’re hungrier still for advertisers’ dollars, so their game is to flash just enough integrity without losing the bucks.
That’s a losing game for integrity. Media analyst Bob Garfield notes that the effectiveness of native advertising depends on it being confused with editorial content.
Eliminate the confusion, and the ethical failure diminishes, he says. But “what will also diminish, to near vanishing point, is the readership of those adverts.”
Any media so dependent on corporate money that it resorts to deceiving its audience is — in a word — “dependent.” Also, untrustworthy.
We’re not backing down in the face of Trump’s threats.
As Donald Trump is inaugurated a second time, independent media organizations are faced with urgent mandates: Tell the truth more loudly than ever before. Do that work even as our standard modes of distribution (such as social media platforms) are being manipulated and curtailed by forces of fascist repression and ruthless capitalism. Do that work even as journalism and journalists face targeted attacks, including from the government itself. And do that work in community, never forgetting that we’re not shouting into a faceless void – we’re reaching out to real people amid a life-threatening political climate.
Our task is formidable, and it requires us to ground ourselves in our principles, remind ourselves of our utility, dig in and commit.
As a dizzying number of corporate news organizations – either through need or greed – rush to implement new ways to further monetize their content, and others acquiesce to Trump’s wishes, now is a time for movement media-makers to double down on community-first models.
At Truthout, we are reaffirming our commitments on this front: We won’t run ads or have a paywall because we believe that everyone should have access to information, and that access should exist without barriers and free of distractions from craven corporate interests. We recognize the implications for democracy when information-seekers click a link only to find the article trapped behind a paywall or buried on a page with dozens of invasive ads. The laws of capitalism dictate an unending increase in monetization, and much of the media simply follows those laws. Truthout and many of our peers are dedicating ourselves to following other paths – a commitment which feels vital in a moment when corporations are evermore overtly embedded in government.
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