I don’t tend to watch TV much, but even back a decade or two when I did watch the evening news the commercial stations always had some sort of advertorial about ‘the new Ford is coming out’, or ‘spring is here, make sure you have your antihistamines at hand’ (brands prominently displayed).
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I like to think of the situation as
Paid Advertising Disguised as News!
Same facts, with emphasis on the objective, by what ever the means? Ask John Singleton for a second opinion.
I remember the early days of TV when the stars did the commercials live. Many people struggled to understand that they were not the stars’ endorsements, just paid touting more often than not, although in those days some of the stars had enough integrity in what they touted; and they were prefaced by ‘and now for a commercial announcement’. Those style advertorials seems to have survived and prospered in internet presentation by the media as being in the public (??!!) interest. It spans anything and everything from Qantas newest FF program to what is in particular new cars and more recently the latest in ridiculous (my opinion) bikinis that usually gets clicks. Some are clearly sponsored pieces and others not.
I think what is changing is that what is news is now being ever more purposefully cast as exciting click bait, often with sensationalised bias for or against, to get the clicks.
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One example that annoys me considerably is Better Homes and Gardens. Every night it is filled with TV journalism that tells us to build this DIY project we ought to go to X hardware store to buy tools and materials and to enjoy this fabulous food buy a list of ingredients from Y supermarket. Following along will be the article about the joys of growing Z named and patented (or is it trademarked?) cultivar of some common plant.
Oddly, every night you get companion advertisements for X, Y and Z. I don’t know how this rubbish gets on air. So much for industry-based self regulation.
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Why on earth do you bother watching it?
I would not watch if they paid me.
The only time I have watched Channel 7 in donkey’s years was last week after I drove past a major accident on the main road into Cairns and witnessed that aftermarth of a major accident, and I noticed that the Channel 7 news crew were the only one recording it.
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Remember Graham Kennedy doing those ads on his late night show.
So funny and entertaining and everyone knew he wouldn’t have been doing it for nothing.
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Oh, Graham made it quite clear he was advertising and everyone new it. 
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What really annoys me is that nearly every big story on the 6pm news is presented as “exclusive”. The latest was a couple of days ago when I heard a story on 4BC radio at 4pm of an accident involving a little boy. The same story was presented on Channel 9 as a breaking story 2 hours later, as if they were there when the story broke. Pure propaganda B/S.
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But at least they were genuine news articles and not paid advertisements made to look like genuine news articles.
Clearly most of us might have an Oxford, or Webster’s or better still a Macquarie. The press clearly have a McMurdoch or McPacker to turn to for the correct meaning of words used as part of the craft. 
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While in Woolies yesterady, I saw that the front page of the local Murdoch rag had an article claiming that there was massive business growth happening in Cairns, so I had a complimentary glance at pages 6 & 7.
It should have had 'ADVERTORIAL" at the top and was primarily a promotional piece regarding Sydney Tools coming to Cairns.
It presented them as Bunnings nemesis with a glowing spiel of how great they are.
I found this article for Murdoch’s rag regarding them.
‘Cheaper than Bunnings’: Another major retailer takes on Cairns
Bunnings has been put on notice as huge amounts of commercial space are leased across the city – including the arrival of the retail giant’s biggest competitor.
And this one.
Turnover of some $220 million from 29 stores back then. Almost $7.6 million per store.
It pales into insignificance in comparison to Bunnings turnover of some $13.2 billion from 276 stores in 2019. Almost $48 million per store.
I doubt that Westfarmers will br losing any sleep over them coming to Cairns, just like I doubt that well entrenched Cairns Hardware Company will be either.
