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Advertorial Featured on NowPublic
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by con10t | December 29, 2008 at 10:17 am
112 views | 2 Recommendations | 8 comments
It's the beginning of the end for citizen journalist ethics and NowPublic when advertorial (advertisement masquerading as content) is featured as the Tech&Biz story today. As far as I can determine running ads as content is against NowPublic Terms of Use.
The story in question by NowPublic Silver Member lovemorgel "10 Cute Little Cars - Good Things Come In Small Packs" is a car ad that opens:
"Size does matters and the world is going bananas over the small and compact cars. These street smart cars are here to stay..."
lovemorgel is complimented by a car ad video by NowPublic Gold Member Edmund Jenks, whose profile states he does "Marketing & Business Communications, Blog, Article, & Brochure Editing | Creation, Product Access, Representation & Promotion, Business Relationships & Partnership Marketing Management".
An ad man, fine and dandy. Seems efective from his numbers. But what does planting video car ads have to do with furthering citizen journalism and activism on NowPublic? When advertorial is allowed to even approach the point of creeping into NowPublic, it disrespects the trust and time of all who are contributing.
Remove that advertorial! I hope other NowPublic-lovers will second that motion and leave a comment.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (8)
at 10:27 on December 29th, 2008
There is potential for viral marketing also on sites such as this...and much harder to detect.
However, regarding the car post, unless he owns an automobile dealership and sells those cars, I see nothing wrong with his post.
at 11:47 on December 29th, 2008
Thanks for the comment. Does Ogilvy and MAther or Saatchi and Saatchi own a car dealership? Or do they make and sell ads for Volkswagen and other carmakers. I see advertorial as being independent of the occupation of its composer. Usually it''s as I point out a marketing stunt by marketeers.
Letting it slip is a set-back to citizen journalism and the introduction on NowPublic of Spam Journalism (not unlike Fox News).
Cheers
at 10:30 on December 29th, 2008
I think it would be good if you moved this to the forum. Where it can be discussed.
at 11:57 on December 29th, 2008
In the old days, yes. Now, on a user-generated news and journalistic opinion web2.0 site, no.
Spam journalism or advertorial cluttering citizen journalism sites is news.
at 10:31 on December 29th, 2008
Hi there and thank you for your concern. I have looked over the article in question and do not think it is an "advertorial" as you state since it does not attempt to sell anything, even when you follow the source link at the end of the story. This story is a Top 10 list, not an advertisment.
From what I can see the only thing this member should have done was use highlight to reference the original article, which has been quoted verbatim, and I will make a comment on the article to that regard.
Your comments about member Edmund Jenks violate our TOC. There is nothing wrong with a member listing what they do for a living as part of their profile. Please remove these personal comments from your post and move your article to the forum where this type of story should be posted.
Thanks!
Tina
at 11:54 on December 29th, 2008
I apprecate your condour. However how could you say this is a top 10 list and that it is not advertorial. Read lovemorgel:
"Size does matters and the world is going bananas over the small and compact cars. These street smart cars are here to stay and are set to change the conventions of cars on its head in the days to come. Eye popping designs pop up every day, pushing the massive gas guzzlers into oblivion. Breaking your bank to own a monstrous car that chokes the highway is no fad these days. These small and cute cars are going to give sleepless nights to many conventions players in the car industry. "
Where are the facts? Advertorial is based on 'facoids' that is fact-like phrases such as:
"the world is going bananas over the smal and compact cars"
"smart cars are here to stay"
I have to my knowledge made no personal comments. As I said nothing wrong with being an ad man. I make a link to the Gold Member profile.
The advertorial I identify is strictly personal comment and has no place on a citizen journalism site where one wishes that spam journalism will not be cultivated.
at 10:35 on December 29th, 2008
Bidniss is a big part of our world. We might criticise whether car design, Detroit Lions, and Gaza all merit being on our news horizon, but they are all part of our world.
at 11:59 on December 29th, 2008
News addresses autos, autocrats and autonomous territories, of course. But blatant advertising video, photos and a complete lack of reporting, other than personal sales jingles is not news and it taints citizen journalism with spam journalism.
Thanks for your comment.