Running head: NATIVE ADVERTISING 1

Native Advertising: Sell Out Or Savior For Journalism?

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Native Advertising: Sell Out Or Savior For Journalism?

What is a native advertisement?

Native advertisement is the use of paid adverts in the web or social media with the same

look and function of the media format (Wojdynski & Evans,2016). The adverts used in various

platform matches the form of the platform to the point that many interne users do not

differentiate the content of the site and the adverts. The advertisers refer them to as paid ads,

sponsored ads, or branded materials. The main objective of the ads is to create a brand image in

the viewers' minds. Also, it drives the viewer to take a particular action example clicking to view

the content.

What is journalism?

Journalism is an activity that involves professional writing of newspapers, journals,

magazines, web content, and preparing news (Deuze,2005). The journalist writes original content

which can also be used in advertisements using the written or broadcast media. The involvement

of journalist in ads have different views from the journalists, the media companies, and

consumers. The native advertisement has a history, and it was not developed in the internet era.

Even when the digital platforms were not accessible, the radio presenters could make

advertisements (Spalding, 1963). Also, posters were published and paid for by the sponsors,

The journalists have incorporated native advertising, which has lead to debates about its

impact on journalism. One side of the journalist believes that native advertisements should not be

included in their activities. The team of the journalist considers that the newsroom should be set

only to perform its primary objective. They view the newsroom as a place set for broadcasting
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news but not collaborating with brands by making advertisements with which appears like

editorial. They see the native ads as unethical in journalism, and journalists should stay away

from such activities. Also, they describe the act as disrespectful to the media consumer

(Goodwin & Smith,1987). The can drive journalism in the wrong direction by focusing on

money other than the purpose of the profession. In some cases, media consumers are influenced

to consume the faulty product through advertisements. The result of the wrong information

through paid ads may push journalism to the edge and give it a bad reputation to a point when

media consumers loose trust with media companies.

Due to the high risk of misleading customers through ads, various regulators have raised

discussions on the issue. For instance, the U.S Federal Trade Commission (FTC) held a

workshop with practitioners, experts, and researchers in Dec 2013. The meeting was for

discussing the ways of regulating the ads by making the policies to protect the consumers from

deceptive practices related to the ads (FTC, 2013b).FTC chairwoman Edith, on her opening

remarks, said that editorial resembling ads might be harmful to the consumer. This is because the

information comes from a reliable source hence ought to be trusted (Millstein,1964).

Some editors do not have a problem with a native advertisement, and they do not see the

negative impact from their side of view. They say that if the implementation of the adverts is

appropriately put into practice, it has more benefit than harm. They argue that sponsored adverts

generate recommendable revenue for media companies and also help the publishers to protect

their businesses and bring value to the viewer or the reader of an advert. The recent research says

that paid ads are contributing to about 20% of the total advertising revenue

(https://nativeadvertisinginstitute.com), and the publisher expects it to rise to 32% by the year

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2020. Therefore, the editors suggest the incorporation of the native advertisement by the

journalist to earn more revenue and also create positive impacts on readers by giving them the

right information. (Richardson et al., .2007)

Sell-out or savior?

Debates over the native advertisement revolves around its ethics. The main focus is on

the sponsored ads from the news publications; journalists are expected to be in a neutral ground

when giving out reports. Being on either side of a story is considered wrong and unethical, the

journalist aims to inform the public and create awareness of the issues surrounding them.

Therefore, advocating on either side of a report will be misleading the follows hence influencing

their decision making. Sponsored content changes the motive of a journalist from an informer to

business-oriented. When a journalist uses their profession to gain money from ads, it lowers their

reputations and the total reputation of the company. According to the journalist regulations, a

journalist should not represent any brand in exchange for money because it undermines their

professional responsibility (Carlson,2015).

On the other hand, achieving editorial independence is a challenge for individual

journalists and media companies. Researching, editing, and publishing news is a task that

requires resources and human labor (Kassirer,1999). In some cases, every stage of production

requires different skills; hence, more people needed. The journalist requires finances to support

themselves and their families. For these reasons, the journalist finds a way of getting money

through paid ads, and this enables them to sustain their families and also keep on bringing

important news to their audience. Private media companies also have the same challenges; they

need to pay their workers and other expenses such as transport and purchasing equipment. Since

they are not publicly funded, they find their means of getting income, which is native
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advertising. The reality should be considered before concluding if the native advertisement is

selling out or savior for journalism.

Technology is also advancing, and most people are using social platforms more than

listening to radios and watching TV. Most news is published online the same to ads. The banners

are outdated and are now becoming history. The main business models used in digital publishing

include subscriptions, paywalls, memberships, donations, or native ads. Companies are opting to

use digital platforms to engage their customers through sponsored content (Kahean &

Varian,2000).

In the year 2014, John Oliver, A British comedian, took down paid ads in his show. John

had a clear stand on the advertisements; the editorial part of the news should be separated from

the adverts news. The editorials news should not be changed to fit the announcement of the ad

(Ferrer,2006). However, he did not answer the critical question of how the media should be

independence while no one is ready to pay for it. According to Andrew Sullivan, a reputable

blogger, he says that without innovation and online advertising, journalism will die. He also

noted that distinguishing the editorial from advertorial will only destroy the village to save it.

Some people see native ads as the only way to help the newsroom survive. Other views it in a

more better perspective that advertisement pays bills for journalist and enable them to find

information and tell the truth to their audience. The information from the journalist is

enlightening and educative. From their side of view, advertising is a tradition to keep through

experimentation and severe transparency (Dereck Thompson from the Atlantic).

The Atlantic is a good example demonstrating on both how to effectively do native

advertising and how not to do it. The publisher created a full-page ad for the church os

Scientology in the year 2013. The advertisement did not last for 24 hours; he removed it to avoid
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much controversy and unnecessary pressure from contradicting individuals. The responsible

party targeted by the publisher apologized and admitted their mistakes. From that time, the

publisher has published different branded contents under their rules and guidelines. He has also

put efforts to differentiate editorial content from advertorial content. He gives the audience full

information about the contents of his publications; hence, the readers are aware of the articles

they are reading. The transparency has made the Atlantic publisher a reputable recommendation;

thus, more followers appreciate his work.

The U.S journalism is well known for having a clear distinction between the editorial

staff and the advertisement staff. The editorial team is responsible for delivering the right

information to the public without bias. It presents resourceful information to the leader and

promotes integrity in information delivery, which enables the media customer to make their

conclusion effectively (Carlson, 2015). Many publishers have embraced the American way

hence having effective communication with their customers. The Audience is also able to

differentiate the contents of every presentation and the intended purpose.

Most media consumers are not able to identify the sponsored content; they are also not

educated enough to differentiate between paid and editorial content. Due to the complex nature

of native ads, they blend with the sites that they are published (Gauzente,2010). This makes them

look similar to the editorial content. Many media consumers will perceive an ad as editorial

content. Just because an ad appears like an editorial piece, and addresses understandable issues,

to the readers, it becomes an editorial content. There should be forewarnings about the context

the consumers are reading to decide if they are willing to proceed with the material or opt

otherwise (Quinn & Wood, 2004). Using labeling to reveal sponsorship can also be very useful

in alerting the reader about the content he/she is about to read. The presentation of the disclosure
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helps in the determination of the material; at times, they are used to confuse the reader in

differentiating between the editorial and advertorial contents (Boerman 2012). Clear guidelines

are necessary for the journalist to keek their integrity and present their content without

interfering with the readers. Using contradicting statements or phrases with mixed messages is

not recommendable. For instance, the use of statements such as “presented by” will may send a

mixed message to the reader.He/she may interpret that a generous brand sponsors the

information to support the journalist to cover specific topics. Such information should be put in a

way that the reader gets one message from it. According to Joe McCambley, the founder of a

company that assisted in designing the first banner ad said that native advertising is a slippery

ground. It can lead to the death of journalism if the publishers are not keen on their work. He

further said that by not p[roviding clear information, the content that the reader is expecting will

be like gambling with the agreement the journalists have with readers.

On the other hand, some readers do not mind the content they are reading. They don’t

care about the reader, either the publisher, as far as the content is favorable to them. Such readers

are not interested in identifying if the materials are sponsored or auditorial as long as its good to

them. These types of readers do not have a negative influence on the journalist because there are

not selective of the content they read. According to research conducted in the UK,57% Millenials

do not consider if the content they are reading is sponsored or not as far as it is appealing to

them. This gives possibilities of incorporating native advertisement in editorial materials, and

this sends an inspiring message to the journalist in this context (Syrett & Lamminman,2004).

The journalist working with the native ad in the newsroom have a responsibility to

deliver them as per the programs and should not diminish their sacred role. They have an
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obligation to chose which content and brand stories to put in front of their readers. The stories

should not reflect the editorial opinions but instead should give the right, useful, and correct

information branded with the taste of the readers. In some instances, the use of a disclaimer is

necessary to distinguish the content of the ads from the editorial content.

Take an example of The New York Times ad, Women inmates, why the male model doesn’t

work. The story is realistic and useful, and it brings up a marginalized story to the center of

attention. The post is sponsored by Netflix company in their comparing for the coming new

season of Orange is The New Black. Due to the reality of the story, it does not interfere with the

value for the reader. Most people misinterpreted native advertising, unlike traditional advertising,

which employs interaction with the reader to get attention. Native advertisement is permission-

based. It focuses on giving value to the reader not aggressive. It also provides meaningful

information and establishes a good relationship with the reader. However, the brands have a

motive of making a profit from the ads hence the need for transparency in labeling these types of

contents when appearing within the editorial contents (Ragusa,2005).

The newsrooms should consider very careful when dealing with sponsored adverts.

Publishers such as “The New York Times” has a team of workers who deal with commercial

content in the company. The team creates content for the adverts meeting the ad regulation put

by the regulatory organizations such as the U.S Federal Trade Commission. To keep the

journalist away from the native advertisement, “The New York Times,” COO says that they do

not share their storytellers; hence, the publisher protects the career from inside. The most

problem arises when the publisher allows full access to the brand and give the freedom to publish

what appeals to them. By overseeing the process, the publisher is capable of regulating the

content brands want to produce.

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Is it possible for journalists to embrace native without betraying their readers?

The critical question is asked frequently by many researchers and readers. The possibility

of journalists involving themselves in native ads without betraying their leaders can be possible

if the publishers view the readers as respectful readers but not media consumers. Readers

perceive journalism as a respectable profession, regardless of adverse reports of declining trust.

Regardless of the need for money the journalists have, they should respect their readers for the

development of both the reader and the journalist. The readers understand that a journalist needs

financial support to keep on with their profession. They realize that journalists have families

depending on them and other bills to pay. People do not hate advertisement but they view being

sold and tricked for business as disrespectful. If the ads are created in a clear way to the readers,

they can be of help in attracting and creating awareness for potential buyers (Ikonen,2017).

Many critics believe that native advertising deceives the reader and have more harm than cure.

However, a more optimistic view from the side of the consumer is that they find the content in

native advertising more engaging than the traditional advertising content.

The readers are exposed to a lot of brand ads every day. According to Yankelovich, a

marketing firm research over a decade ago, the number of advertisements that readers are

exposed to is about 5000 ads. Currently, the number is higher than that. The traditional ad creates

annoyance and distractions; that is why the readers have evolved advertising avoidance on the

web also known as “Banner blindness.”The term came from the notion that when using the

internet, the readers could find some rectangular adverts on top of the page. They avoided the ads

by not looking at the area of their display.

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From different views and summary from the chapter, native advertising have various

importances. Native advertising is useful to brands that need to engage more customers through

the internet and social media platforms. It also showcases a business idea and relevance to the

customers without interfering with their experience on any platform. This is as a result of

formatting the ads to fit the platforms the same way editorial contents match. Native advertising

involves targeting and personalization technology. The technology brings brands and people in a

union in a more trustworthy manner. The brands that are looking forward to the digital world

should focus on native ads. The brands with intellectual staff and enough resources have a good

experience of the native ads and their effectiveness in business. Best ads should be turned into

the philosophy, attitude and style of a specific publication structured to meet the needs of

particular readers

If journalists decide to create room for native advertisement by giving brand publishing

space, they should be responsible and control the information brands want to share. The

journalist needs to act as the controller of the information presented by the brands to maintain

their good reputation and professionalism. They should also consider the welfare of their

audience all the time before publishing the content of any brand. This will help them to avoid

posting misleading information hence creating a negative impact on their audience. They should

also hold the brand accountable for the paid ads published through them; this will promote

transparency. Readers are vital to the journalist profession; they give the audience and support

the journalist by following and reading their publications (Wojdynski & Evans,2016).
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Conclusion

In conclusion, native advertising can be a “Sell Out Or Savior For Journalism.” The

perception of native advertisement depends on the effectiveness of its application. When

adequately used through following the regulatory measures and transparency, it becomes a savior

for journalism. The journalist will be able to meet their needs by paid ads and also deliver useful

information to the readers. When the journalist uses the native ads without considering their

readers, they might publish brands content with misleading information. Readers will have

distrust with the publisher resulting in a negative reputation hence a sell-out of the journalist. The

journalist can maintain a good reputation by incorporating professionalism in their work, thus

having more benefits from native advertising.

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