In risky move, (local) newscasts adopt (add) product placements

[Up2Late]

(This article is originally from "The Hollywood Reporter Magazine," which is very expensive trade publication, and charges for access to their articles, but I guess they have an arrangement with Reuters. I heard about this article today, when Harry Shearer read parts of it on his
"Le Show" radio show today: <http://www.harryshearer.com/leshow/index.html>)

In risky move, newscasts adopt product placements

Wed Mar 15, 2006 10:21 PM ET12

By Gail Schiller

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - While just about every television genre has jumped on the lucrative product-placement bandwagon, news programs generally have been considered off-limits to preserve editorial integrity. But with TV stations facing increased competition and pressure on advertising revenue, the barriers that shielded news programing from such deals are falling. Product placement, media and branded entertainment agencies say they are increasingly being pitched opportunities from local stations to integrate their clients' products into news programing in exchange for buying commercial time or paying integration fees.

"There are more local news stations that are incorporating brands into news in innovative, cutting-edge ways," said Aaron Gordon, president of entertainment marketing firm Set Resources Inc. "The line, which has always been black and white in terms of what's news and what's commercials, is now being blurred...."

(clip)

...MORNING NEWS SHOWS

"We're all trying to find ways of integrating commercial messages into content that satisfy the audience and advertisers without hurting our product," KRON president and general manager Mark Antonitis said. "When you're an independent, you've got to do what you can to survive. You bank on your credibility as a news organization every day, but you also have to be successful as a business. You have to be creative for your advertisers without compromising the credibility of your news organization."

Most stations are focusing their efforts on morning news shows, where lifestyle segments allow for more integration opportunities without sounding as many alarm bells with viewers as it might if product integration popped up in the hard-news portions of their newscasts. At present, full-fledged brand integration into news programing appears to be limited to local news, but some marketing experts suspect that the network morning news shows won't be far behind. "We are already seeing an erosion of the 'editorial wall' in network newsrooms, particularly for morning news and newsmagazines," said Jim Johnston, partner at the law firm Davis & Gilbert, which represents both media agencies and entertainment clients.

(much more at links below)

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[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. This doesn't sound ethical to me

The point being that news should be for news. To place advertisements in the news, not as seperate but as an integral part of the broadcast, casts doubts on the editorial integrity of the news portion of the broadcast. If WalMart is sponsoring these integrated ads, do you think that there would ever be a negative piece on that retail chain? What about a food giant like Tysons? Could we trust the news to present unbiased reporting about anything dealing with birds? Personally, I'll find my news on the Internet, especially here at DU, where kind souls give links to events I deem important to my life. Thanks, DUers, for this!

[msongs]

2. what do you expect from media whores and the suckers that

watch this crap hundreds of hours a week?

just think what wonderful things this nation could accomplish if everyone quit watching TV for a year.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/democratsmugs.htm

[Up2Late]

5. Exactly, About all I watch anymore is The Weather Channel...

...The Daily Show (and a few of the other late night Comedy Central shows), and a few PBS shows like FRONTLINE.

Even PBS has been doing this, have you seen any of their "Home Repair" shows lately, they are turning into one giant "integrated ad" for Home Depot. :banghead: :crazy:

[salin]

3. Makes me think of the movie 'The Truman Show'

"honey... have you seen this new potatoe peeler? It does x why and z and doesn't rust..."

*clueless but a tad puzzled* "gee, that's nice dear..."

[depakid]

4. You bank on your credibility as a news organization????

LOL.

Credibility?

[silverweb]

6. Priceless.

"Radio-Television News Directors Association president Barbara Cochran warned... 'You're selling the credibility of the news, and if viewers start thinking your news is for sale, then the credibility of your news is lost and your audience is lost.'"

Ummm, Barbara, what do you think happened when we learned that network news was being dictated by the WH, censored by the Pentagon, and fabricated at taxpayer expense by propagandists for release via your wonderful news directors?

Credibility?

[rfkrfk]

7. CBS News is selling its naming rights

also, the clothes worn by news anchors...

hint --> Nascar

[tom_paine]

8. There is are no "news" organizations in Imperial Amerika

Just some cogs in a vertically-oriented BushPutinist product-selling machine & profit center (which doesn't to make a profit if the WRONG PEOPLE are offering $$$$, you see).

I still remember what it was like to live in a free country, but that memory fades a little more every day.

[Up2Late]

9. I remember too...

I wonder when they are going to just turn the US into an LLC?

The United States of America, Inc.:cry:

:kick:

[brooklynite]

10. Doesn't surprise me a bit...

on my local radio station the traffic and weather reports are already "sponsored".