The New York Times believes in separation of church and state, or in the world of media, the separation of editorial and advertisement. And to assure that their readers also know the difference, the NYT, per its publisher, "will set apart such
articles online with a different typeface. It will also feature a color
bar, the advertiser’s logo and, perhaps most importantly, the label 'paid post.'” That they will take such measures to clearly differentiate is notable, it may undo the value of native advertising to make users think it is editorial content.
What it does do is put The New York Times on higher ground in that they so actively showcase the differentiation for the sake of real journalism. By creating such transparency between ad and editorial, they have set themselves apart from other news and information web sites. Will others follow and do more to assure their readers of what is independent and what is sponsored; for the sake of the advertising community and the future of advertising, I hope so.
Have a Happy Holiday!
