A little long winded, but what else is there to do?
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Originally Posted by psych1
as the only daily in Saskatoon they have an ethical obligation to be forthright and label advertising as such.
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I agree, and in most cases they do (auto dealership article appeared in the business section...business=attempting to sell a product, service, lifestyle, or industry).
But, for the Star Phoenix (or any news operation) to begin making claims about their articles, stating "this article is attempting to sell suburban lifestyles", or "this vehicle review is attempting to sell you the Mercedes brand"...well, IMO, its open to interpretation what their articles are attempting to sell or not sell.
The reader must decide for themselves what the article means to them. Psych1 may take offense to the "thinly veiled marketing" of the automotive or home review sections of the newspaper, but Carl the consumer might be looking to purchase a new car, or home. Carl found the review articles helpful and supportive and hopes the Star Phoenix publishes more review articles of products and services available to him in his community.
Articles are written to have multiple effects, or are attempting to influence many divergent interests and sometimes it is not known who might be influenced and to what extent any one person might be influenced by the " thinly veiled marketing" of an article. Carl finds the "thinly veiled marketing" useful, while Psych1 finds the whole attempt offensive...divergent interests I suppose
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Originally Posted by psych1
How do we trust that any "news" has not been paid for if they don't differentiate between reporting and advertising?
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That's the thing, trust can be granted and trust can be broken. Whether we wish to trust news is entirely up to us, the reader. You or I can stop reading the Star Phoenix and begin subscribing to other sources of news including Planet S, The Sheaf, internet blogs/news, SSP/forums, and word of mouth to supplement whatever the Star Phoenix publishes.
Then again, many people don't have the time to read and synthesize the variety of local information sources, and rely on the mainstay Star Phoenix for in-depth local coverage.
The Star-Phoenix does a great job IMO. Sure there is the occasional "thinly veiled marketing" article, but then again, what publisher doesn't have some "thinly veiled marketing" attempt (intentional or otherwise)?
It seems like your offended more by what the "thinly veiled marketing" is trying to sell you rather than the act of "thinly veiled marketing"...if an article had a different viewpoint, perhaps a more anti-auto, anti-suburban angle you may feel the article is worth the paper it is written on, as opposed to the free or paid advertisement related to the luxury automotive segment or suburban home building segment.
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Originally Posted by psych1
The media is not "just another business" and they have responabilities above and beyond other bussinesses. That is why we have special licensing for them. I know this is purely hypothetical.
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Special licensing for media outlets mean very little to me. It is but one credential and a very minor one at that. Basing a media operators credibility on their special licensing has less to do with the intentions of their articles and viewpoints, and more to do with conforming to minimal standards set by some government and industry representative body.
There are bloggers, there are people living in our community that have just as much, if not more credibility than any of the major news outlets, and I don't believe special licensing is required for them to publish their viewpoint. Independent news sources have a huge following and continue to provide credibility through the text they type and print, supported by the reader's trust.
The relationship between reader and publisher is one based on trust and support. Readers expect a certain level and detail in the articles published, and the publishers expects a certain number of businesses or service providers to be bidding for advertisement. Businesses pay publishers for the advertisements, readers pay businesses for products and services, publishers report the issues confronting their readers (sometimes this includes reports on lifestyle choices including auto reviews and home reviews), and at the end of the day we all feel like we are part of something