Sponcon Disclosure Lessons from Teen Vogue’s Facebook Article Controversy

As the lines between journalism and advertising become increasingly blurred, media companies must be on high alert for potential pitfalls around the failure to properly disclose sponsored content. The proper characterization of content as commercial advertising, and the proper disclosure of such sponsored content, has drawn the scrutiny of both the Federal Trade Commission and the National Advertising Division in recent years. Teen Vogue’s equivocation on whether an uncritical article on Facebook’s role in the 2020 election amounted to sponsored content provides many lessons from which other media companies should learn. Earlier today, Teen Vogue published an article titled, “How Facebook Is Helping Ensure the Integrity of the 2020 Election.” The Twitterverse was set abuzz, because it seemed to be overly laudatory of Facebook and did not contain any critical questioning.  Commentators found the questions posed and the tone of the article surprising in light of Facebook’s role in the 2016 election and its recent public pronouncement regarding its approach in 2020. “Interesting pivot for Teen Vogue here to… Facebook PR?” tweeted Steven Perlberg, a freelance writer formerly with BuzzfFeed News and The Wall Street Journal, while Molly Jong-Fast of The Daily Beast described the article as “so sketchy.” Approximately an hour after it was posted, Teen Vogue added a prominent disclosure below the headline, stating, “Editor’s note: This is sponsored editorial content.” In a... Continue reading at 'Folio Magazine'

[ Folio Magazine | 2020-01-09 00:40:34 UTC ]
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RWA Retires RITA Awards, Debuts the 'Vivian' After a Winter of Controversy

The Romance Writers of America will permanently retire its annual RITA Awards, which it has presented annually since 1982, and introduce a new award, the Vivian, following a controversy related to issues of diversity at the organization over the winter. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Tackling Racism with Teens

Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds, co-authors of ‘Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You’—a YA adaptation of Kendi’s award-winning title—are teaming up with the American Booksellers Association for a virtual book club. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Experts weigh in on Facebook’s new Oversight Board

Almost two years after it first started talking about the idea, Facebook finally announced the members of its Oversight Board, the “Supreme Court” that will—theoretically, at least—have the ability to overrule Facebook and its chief executive Mark Zuckerberg  about whether certain types of... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review

[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-05-14 11:45:42 UTC ]
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Rob Biddulph to attempt world record for largest online art lesson

Children's author and illustrator Rob Biddulph is attempting to break the world record for the largest online art lesson, in partnership with HarperCollins and global talent investor Entrepreneur First. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-06 15:32:05 UTC ]
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Instagram’s story: Fast growth, a $1 billion sale and Facebook’s broken pledge

Sarah Frier traces the company’s cultural impact along with its business history. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-04-30 15:32:33 UTC ]
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Portal From Facebook Salutes Moms With Mother’s Day Campaign

The new campaign for the Portal From Facebook video-calling devices salutes mothers and their efforts during the coronavirus pandemic as Mother's Day approaches. Facebook said the integrated campaign will include a new television spot, digital content (both on- and off-Facebook) and partnerships... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2020-04-27 19:15:41 UTC ]
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What Google and Facebook need to do to fight disinformation

Both Google and Facebook have acted surprisingly quickly to remove disinformation related to the COVID-19 virus over the past few weeks, considering their somewhat mixed track record when it comes to removing hoaxes, conspiracy theories, and trolls related to political campaigns. But experts... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review

[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-04-09 11:45:11 UTC ]
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‘Walden’ may be the most famous act of social distancing. It’s also a lesson on the importance of community.

Henry David Thoreau’s most famous book is more than a guide to nature. It’s a memoir of grieving. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-04-07 12:00:00 UTC ]
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In Camus’ ‘The Plague,’ lessons about fear, quarantine and the human spirit

Cut off from the world, residents of a stricken city must discover new ways to live. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-04-03 12:00:00 UTC ]
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So Many Free Books From Simon Teen To Read Right Now!

Simon Teen is offering more than twenty books and excerpts to read for free right now! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-03-27 20:36:54 UTC ]
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Audible Launches Audible Stories for Children and Teens While School is Out

Looking for ways to entertain kids and teens at home? Audible has launched Audible Stories, a free service that offers family-friendly educational and entertaining audiobook content. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-03-19 19:24:21 UTC ]
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Macmillan drops controversial US e-book library policy

Macmillan has abandoned its controversial lending policy on e-books for US libraries in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-18 05:44:27 UTC ]
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Before 'American Dirt,' a history of Oprah's Book Club controversies

Oprah Winfrey first launched Oprah's Book Club on Sept. 16, 1996, 10 years into "The Oprah Winfrey Show," one of the highest-rated daytime talk shows in television history. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-03-10 14:00:38 UTC ]
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Woody Allen memoir may still go ahead in France, despite controversy

The film director’s book Apropos of Nothing was dropped by its US publisher after staff walkouts, but the French publisher says ‘Allen is not Roman Polanski’Woody Allen’s controversial memoir will still be published in France despite its US publisher dropping it, with his French publisher saying... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-03-09 14:57:23 UTC ]
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‘Miracle’ cures that hold lessons for Western medicine

What do cases of spontaneous recovery have in common? Psychiatrist Jeffrey Rediger explains. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-03-06 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Oprah’s Book Club drops My Dark Vanessa as a pick because of Twitter controversy.

After the massive blowback from its selection of American Dirt—a book about the migrant experience widely denounced for having very little connection to the migrant experience (or to Mexico, where the book is set)—it makes sense that Oprah’s Book Club would make future selections more... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-03-05 17:20:51 UTC ]
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How Facebook’s early decisions set the stage for scandal

Steven Levy mines the company’s history and talks to its leaders to figure out where things went wrong. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-02-28 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Pan Mac gets money lesson from FT's Jackson

Pan Macmillan has commissioned Financial Times lead writer Gavin Jackson to write Money in One Lesson: How it Works and Why. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-02-28 03:21:29 UTC ]
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Launching Your Audience Engagement Strategy: Lessons From Krautreporter’s Playbook

German news publisher Krautreporter has produced a resource to help other news organisations with audience engagement. The publisher is a Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2020-02-26 19:15:09 UTC ]
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Sphere to publish 'life lessons' from last surviving prosecutor at Nuremberg Trials

Sphere is publishing "life lessons" from the last surviving prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials, Benjamin Ferencz. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-02-18 01:45:26 UTC ]
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