Do Consumers Believe Advertising is Negatively Affected When Placed near News Perceived as Biased?

Abstract

This study was conducted to explore (1) whether consumers believe that the credibility of advertising is negatively affected when placed in proximity to news perceived as biased; (2) if consumers believe that the credibility of news is negatively affected when advertising is distrusted; and (3) whether consumers' rub-off beliefs about news and advertising are associated with their predispositional and demographic characteristics. Contrary to our prediction, this study's findings indicate that consumers do not believe that “advertisers are tarnished by the same brush” when their ads are placed near distorted news. They also indicate that consumers do not believe that news is negatively affected by negative feelings about advertising.

Key Words:

• advertising media environment
• qualitative media factors
• news bias
• proximity effect.