News, Inc. : Brand and Advocacy Journalism Across Media

Taking a critical historical approach, this book examines the convergence of journalism and advertising industries that has led to the blurring of commercial and editorial functions within news organizations.

This book considers the rise of brand journalism as it is broadly conceived across multiple genres and media forms, from brand-produced interactive documentaries such as Google’s “Beyond the Map” to sponsored multimedia features, videos, and podcasts made by news- and non-governmental organizations. Focusing on cases in North America and Europe, Dowling traces the origins of brand journalism and addresses key debates and disruptions brought about by the widespread adoption of the reportorial role by non-profits and corporations. These include journalistic concerns around threats to independence and impartiality and the commodification of reportorial integrity, as well as the reverse perspective in terms of the advertising industry’s adjustment to consumer ad avoidance. This project aims to situate these media products, industrially and culturally, in the context of competition for market share in the digital publishing industry. Ultimately, the study determines how the popularity of branded news content depends on the adaptability of corporate brands in spaces not typically associated with advertising and, in some cases, not yet discovered by competitors.

News, Inc. is recommended reading for advanced students and researchers in fields including Digital Journalism, Public Relations, and Marketing Communications.