Blurred lines: When publishers become PR agencies

A newspaper’s credibility is built on its editorial integratory. Every editor worth their salt should (and most do to a certain degree) insist on a clear division between editorial content and paid advertising. However, in recent years, the dividing lines between editorial and commercial interests have become somewhat blurred with native advertising (we used to call them advertising features or advertorials) and clickbait posing as editorial content.

The debate about “the separation of church and state” recently turned into something of a social media shouting match when an award-winning journalist accused bosses at his former title of “running crap listicles in the paper on consecutive pages” and “being a thrown together collection of clickbait written for the web”.

As commercial pressures continue to push publishers to new extremes to protect the financial futures of their businesses, lines are going to continue to be blurred (if not completely obliterated).

So the news that a regional newspaper publisher has recently launched their own PR firm, will undoubtedly raise a few eyebrows amongst editorial purists out there.

The new PR agency, formed by the Midland News Association which publishers titles including The Shropshire Star and Woverhampton’s Express & Star, will be based at the companies Telford print centre and over a full range of PR services including strategic consultancy work, media relations, crisis management and event planning.

While the agency insists they are an “independent PR agency, sitting under the MNA umbrella and benefiting from its 149 years of history and business”, competitive organisations might be concerned that these benefits could give them an unfair advantage in terms of local media coverage.

Graeme Clifford, MNA’s print managing director, told journalists: “Businesses trust our brand and we are delighted to be able to offer additional services to enhance our portfolio.”

Will editors feel obliged to run stories pitched to them by their “in-house” agency which they would normally decline when presented by outside sources? Conversely, will they be more willing to spike (or water down) potentially reputation busting articles featuring their PR firm’s clients?

The first challenge facing MNA’s new PR firm is maintaining the entire company’s reputation and credibility by not crossing too many editorial lines.

Can newspaper publishers offer PR services and maintain their integrity?