Native advertising
Native advertising is content paid for by an advertiser but shaped like the outlet that carries it. How to spot it, and why it stays contentious.
Native advertising is content paid for by an advertiser but built to match the form of the outlet carrying it: the same layout, the same typeface, the same tone as an editorial piece. It also goes by sponsored content, advertorial, or branded content.
Its rationale is simple: the classic banner no longer works, and content that looks like an article gets read. That is also exactly where the problem sits — the advertiser is buying less the space than the credibility of the newsroom next door.
Hence the only rule that matters: labelling. Paid content must be flagged clearly, before you read it, with a visible mention — "advertisement", "sponsored content", "in partnership with". In practice, look for that label above the headline, and check the byline: native advertising is almost never signed by a newsroom journalist.
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