The other ‘fake’ news: Professional ideals and objectivity ambitions in brand journalism

Abstract

The recent ascendance of brand journalism – whereby corporations employ news-like labor and means to court consumers and cultivate consciousness – raises serious concerns about the church–state boundary, as well as other long-standing press ideals such as objectivity and social responsibility. This article examines the fate of those practices and ambitions, as articulated by the professionals involved in the production of this quasi-reportorial, quasi-advertising content. The method of inquiry relies upon 28 in-depth interviews with those who manage and work in native advertising and content marketing in the United States, as well as extensive trade press coverage of the phenomenon, to understand the principles they profess and the adaptations they have undergone in transitioning from traditional editorial to now more commercial employment. It concludes with a political economy critique of what these corporate aspirations might cost the information credibility and democratic potential of the news genre.