JOURNALISM EMBRACING ADVERTISING AS TRADITIONAL JOURNALISM DISCOURSE BECOMES MARGINAL

Abstract

The border between journalism and marketing communication is diminishing and media such as television and magazines are especially vulnerable to the colonisation of traditional journalistic genres by promotional information. From the point of view of audience perception, grouping certain media channels or discourses into “journalistic” and others into “promotional” or “mixed” would provide a certain level of predictability, as well as a basis for their judgement of information. However, we argue here that category confusion takes place even inside sub-sectors of niche magazines. The objective of this international comparative research is to analyse the editorial ideologies and discursive practices concerning the hybridisation of media discourse in one media sector: the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) sub-sector of niche magazines. Can these magazines be identified as “journalistic”, “advert” or “mixed” oriented media? The empirical research is focused on the production process (the implementation of editorial principles) in key MICE magazines mainly in European countries.

Keywords:

• advertising-driven journalism
• advertorials
• hybrid media discourse
• mixed media
• niche magazines

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (Centre for Excellence CECT) and by Project ETF 7547.