Is Native Advertising Ethical?

By: Alyssa Lanier
al634616@ohio.edu

(Photo from Buzzfeed)

When people read a native advertisement, they usually are not aware of it. They may believe they are reading a product review on the website, not something that is being sponsored. The text of the advertisement matches the format of the rest of the articles featured in the magazine, website or newspaper. Native advertising is most commonly seen online in the format of a traditional news story.

I think that anyone making a profit from a product should make that very clear to the reader, so they know the article could be biased. Readers need to know what kind of article they are reading to decide whether or not they want to buy a product themselves. Often when someone is making a profit from a different company or brand, they will sound more positive about the product and recommend it.

This is not always true, of course. Sometimes when writing about a product, the writer might post a completely unbiased, neutral article. I am more likely to buy a product or go to an event if I know that the writer is writing an honest review. Writers and publishers should be completely transparent with readers when advertising.

(Photo by Contend dB)

Companies are using native advertising more since the general public/ readers do not respond to advertisements like they did a few years ago. When going to a website, many get annoyed with the constant advertisements. Native Advertising is a sneaky way to get word of products and brands out there without stating that it is an ad.

I appreciate how the American Society of Magazine Editors updated their guidelines to suggest magazines use the term “sponsored content” and include a statement before the article to explain its origin.

If I am reading an article, I would like to know when the publisher is making a profit on the article. I think using the same format as the rest of the articles is ethical, but it is misleading without a statement saying it is sponsored. Transparency is key when it comes to the public. Journalists are supposed to work to benefit the public and be a spokesperson for them. When misleading the people, it may sway people to lose trust in the publisher.

So, is native advertising ethical? In my opinion, it can be ethical if the publisher is transparent, but it can be sometimes misleading, which would make it unethical. I think editors should clarify what could be in the post. Also, just teaching or informing more people about native advertising to make them more aware of it would be a good technique to be transparent with the people.

It isn’t a bad thing for people to use native advertisements in their writing. It is fairer to the public to provide them with the knowledge to decide for themselves whether or not they approve of this newer technique.

The FTC updated their guidelines to make sure there is still truth in advertising standards. They recommend articles write disclosures before the article to make people aware they are reading an ad. The FTC requires that the disclosure is noticeable and the public can understand what it is saying. I think this will help people know when they are reading an advertisement, which would make it ethical.

                               (Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4HYPsgGKEg)