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 ]
News tagged with: #clear message #digital age

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Sponcon Disclosure Lessons from Teen Vogue’s Facebook Article Controversy'


Facebook: Another three billion fake profiles culled

Mark Zuckerberg hits back at calls to break up Facebook, as it reveals it removed a record number of hateful posts. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2019-05-23 19:06:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #record number


Men Outnumber Women by Far in News Photos Posted to Facebook

If you look at images posted to Facebook by news organizations, you are far more likely to see men than women, according to a new study from Pew Research Center. Pew analyzed images posted (publicly) to the social network by 17 national news outlets between April 1 and June 30, 2018, using a... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2019-05-23 18:45:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #news organizations


Some Facebook content reviewers will focus solely on hate speech

Facebook isn't just interested in cracking down on fake accounts. While discussing the firm's latest Community Standards Enforcement Report, company VP Justin Osofsky revealed during a call that the social network will run a pilot program where some... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2019-05-23 18:11:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hate speech #facebook isn #fake accounts #pilot program


Vanity Fair does Star Wars, the Vogue thief, Esquire’s editor to exit: Publisher’s Brief

Welcome to the latest edition of Ad Age Publisher’s Brief, our roundup of news from the world of content producers across digital and print. Got a tip? Send it our way. Joining us late? Here’s the previous edition. Hooray! Somebody’s gonna sell a lot of print media! OK, to Star Wars nerds, but... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-05-23 18:07:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #defamation payout #daily telegraph


Men Appear Twice as Often as Women in News Photos on Facebook

A new study of the images accompanying news stories posted publicly on Facebook by prominent American news media outlets finds Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2019-05-23 17:30:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Facebook removes 3 billion fake accounts in 6 months

Facebook removed more than three billion fake accounts from October to March, twice as many as the previous six months, the social networking company said Thursday. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2019-05-23 16:32:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook removed


Facebook catches 3 billion fake accounts, but the ones it misses are the real problem

The company, which reports 2.39 billion monthly active users, says it zapped 3 BILLION fake accounts in two quarters alone, and that it caught only “most of them.” Facebook held a press call today to report to the world that it has removed 3 billion fake accounts during the last quarter of 2018... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2019-05-23 15:50:14 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #real problem


Change UK pays for Facebook ad blitz amid dismal EU poll ratings

Party is comfortably biggest spender on online election ads, as other parties hold backChange UK has run a last-minute Facebook advertising campaign to try to shore up its support amid dismal poll ratings for the European elections, but most other parties have mostly avoided large spending on... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-05-23 05:00:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #online campaigning


Why some experts say it's time for Twitter and Facebook to ban anti-vaccination posts

As measles cases continue to rise in Canada and the U.S., experts are calling on social media platforms to ban anti-vaccination posts, saying the risks to public health created by misinformation outweigh the right to free speech. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2019-05-22 08:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #free speech


Far-Right Propaganda Floods Facebook Ahead of EU Elections

Fake accounts spread white-nationalist messages and amassed larger followings than actual far-right parties before being taken down, according to a new report. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2019-05-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Far-right Facebook groups 'spreading hate to millions in Europe'

Avaaz uncovers 500 accounts using fake news to spread white supremacy messageA web of far-right Facebook accounts spreading fake news and hate speech to millions of people across Europe has been uncovered by the campaign group Avaaz.Facebook, which is struggling to clean up the platform and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-05-22 04:00:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook groups #fake news #hate speech


Facebook and Google Pressured EU Experts to Soften Fake News Regulations, Say Insiders

Google and Facebook pressured and “arm-wrestled” a group of experts to soften European guidelines on online disinformation and fake news, Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2019-05-21 15:02:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fake news


If anyone can give us a real Facebook alternative, it’s Apple

You’d like to leave Facebook, but there’s nowhere to go. A new social network from a company with a proven reputation for privacy isn’t such a crazy idea. Facebook is so big, and its reach so wide, that few rival networks even get out of the starting gates, much less gain the critical mass of... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2019-05-21 09:00:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #privacy isn #crazy idea #critical mass #social networks


Instagram: Facebook probes breach of millions of influencer accounts

An Indian company had stored the data of 49 million Instagram users in an unguarded online database. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2019-05-21 07:38:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Some Facebook users can’t turn off face recognition, study suggests (updated)

Consumer Reports filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission after finding that 8 out of 31 test accounts lacked the ability to turn off facial recognition. Updated 5/20 7:30 p.m. PST with Facebook comment.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2019-05-20 18:15:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook users #face recognition #facial recognition #facebook comment


Facebook’s robotic arms and legs are learning faster than ever

Although Facebook Inc. doesn’t sell robots, its researchers use plenty of them — and the company said its machines are getting a lot smarter a lot faster. The social media giant announced Friday that its engineers, working with computer scientists from New York University, have reduced the... Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2019-05-20 17:10:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #robotic arms #learning faster #sell robots #lot smarter #lot faster #computer scientists #york university


Facebook’s robotic arms and legs are learning faster than ever

Although Facebook Inc. doesn’t sell robots, its researchers use plenty of them — and the company said its machines are getting a lot smarter a lot faster. The social media giant announced Friday that its engineers, working with computer scientists from New York University, have reduced the... Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2019-05-20 17:10:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #robotic arms #learning faster #sell robots #lot smarter #lot faster #computer scientists #york university


Facebook Research is developing touchy-feely curious robots

As a social media platform with global reach, Facebook leans extensively on its artificial intelligence and machine-learning systems to keep the site online and harmful content off it (at least, some of the time). Following its announcement at the st... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2019-05-20 10:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #global reach #artificial intelligence


Inside Facebook's New Robotics Lab, Where AI and Machines Friend One Another

The social network has a plan to merge the worlds of artificial intelligence and real-world machines, so that both may grow more powerful. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2019-05-20 10:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #inside facebook #artificial intelligence


'We don't understand the impacts': Former Facebook exec calls for more government scrutiny

The tech giant's former NZ and Aus boss calls for more examination following the surprise election win in Australia. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2019-05-19 21:15:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tech giant