There have been two great pieces this week about the role of sponsored content in journalism, and how it isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's definitely a thing, since just a few weeks ago even I got a call about a role at a large media company for a position in the custom content space. It's an emerging field, for sure.
I like the way Vice and other companies approach sponsored content, likening it to the original soap operas. An advertiser paying for content doesn't necessarily have to skew the final product, a la the dirty, old-school world of advertorial. If a writer or producer is smart, they can make it work. Because, seriously, how else do some of these media mammoths plan to stop their ships from sinking?
Check it:
The Bad Boy Brand
Journalists Take Refuge in the World of Branded Content
