Companies that pay for content in biz news media

Tanzina Vega of The New York Times writes Monday about how some companies are paying for content in the business news media.

Vega writes, “Forbes has worked with about two dozen brands in its two-year venture into branded content. Articles written by FedEx employees for the site have focused on small businesses. Other articles have competed for space on the most-e-mailed list for the site. Michael S. Perlis, the president and chief executive of Forbes Media, said the brands are never allowed to make a direct pitch to consumers in their articles.

“‘It is, in fact, content,’ Mr. Perlis said. ‘It’s not advertising. Its about big issues that relate to thought leadership.’

“Newspapers for years have run special sections to appeal to advertisers, and almost all of the publishers running branded content say they abide by the traditional church-and-state separation — news on one side of the wall, advertising on the other. But the sponsored content runs beside the editorial on many sites and is almost indistinguishable. The content can be ranked on the sites and shared on social media just like any other article.

“The Mashable staff said that, despite having a sponsor, the articles they write are editorial content. ‘These are not advertorials,’ said Lance Ulanoff, the editor in chief at Mashable. ‘I know what an advertorial is. These are pure editorial.'”

Read more here.