The relationships between media outlets and their advertisers have been singled out as a possible reason for the public’s eroding trust in the media. Ad placement and “advertorials,” which are advertisements written in the form of editorial copy, can often confuse the reader and blur the line between editorial content and paid advertising. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism have completed a study examining readers’ perceptions of credibility when it comes to advertisers and e-newspapers.
