hidden advertising in latvian media. lesson overview advertisers’ interests public’s interests...
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Hidden Advertising in Latvian media
Lesson overview
Advertisers’ interests Public’s interests Media’s interests Ethics and Law Is hidden advertising corruption? Indications of hidden advertising Latvian cases Discussion
Advertiser’s interests
Advertising - major source of financing for media companies (other main sources: sales of newspapers, subscription fee, state support)
Advertisers use media to present goods and services in a positive light
Advertisers pay media that deliver the right kind of audience for their advertisement.
Advertisers like media that focus on information that could increase their sales (bad drinking water – mineral water, problems in state hospitals – private hospitals, pollution – cars?)
Advertiser’s interests
Advertisers want to get the best effect - difference in putting the ad as an island, in the beginning, middle or end of a block of ads - be exclusive, be frequent and be regular
Advertisers dream of being invited to TV and radio programs as competent guests, to be able to address a wider audience without having the “ad tag”
Advertisers can never pay for hidden advertising to media that does not want to have money for hidden advertising
Public’s interests The public want to trust the information from the media companies
If the public can trust, they must believe that editorial-journalistic material is made in an independent and unbiased manner
The public must thus know when they read/watch/listen to editorial/journalistic information and when they read/watch/listen to ads
Public’s interests
If the public don’t feel the division or firewall between journalism and advertising they will loose trust in information from media companies, possibly stop to buy it
A public that doesn’t know what is ads and what is journalistic material does not have the preconditions for making up their minds and making decision in an independent manner
If the public can not make independent decision, a democracy can not function
Media interests
Media can serve the advertisers or serve the public
Media’s role is primarily to serve the public
Media is supposed to divide advertising and news material and not masquerade advertising as news
In serving the public and making honest and impartial news media makes all decisions on the program or story themselves, including whom to interview, topic selection, research, script writing and final editing without influence from anybody from outside
Key question
Whose pressure is the strongest?
the pressure from the advertisers? the pressure from the public? the pressure from the media?
Open and Hidden Advertising
Open advertising is information about commercial goods and services, people, politicians and others that is placed in a newspaper, internet portal, radio or TV program and is clearly divided from journalistic information visually and or by sound and that is paid for officially.
Hidden advertising is to positively or negatively report about commercial goods and services, people, politicians and others against pay or other agreement and not as a result of a journalistic evaluation
Effects of hidden advertising
Short-term effects (if not detected)
Long-term effects (if detected)
On advertisers
More sale Less saleLoss of credibility
On public Receives biased infoCan make choices on faulty ground
Loss of trust in mediaLoss of trust in products and services
On media More income Less incomeLoss of credibility
Key questions
Will the public be wise and educated enough to detect hidden advertising?
Will media be ethical and strong enough to resist temptations of possible short-term financial profits?
Media Ethics and Latvian Laws
Code of ethics Law on Advertising Law on Radio and TV
Code of Ethics Not make advertising as story
Not give signals to advertisers and sponsors that they can get a favorable story about themselves if they provide a big ad or sponsor a program
Not take orders from people outside the editorial staff
Not mention events that carry sponsor’s name
Not wear sponsored clothes or cars
Not accept any other advantages from possible advertisers or sponsors
Code of Ethics Not accept pay or any other benefits for interviewing people
Not use directly and uncritically PR material
Freelancers must inform about incomes for programs that they make
Not use false news and photos to make negative stories about competitors
Not keep quiet about matters subject to critical comments because of pressure from advertisers and sponsors
Not show only one side of a story due to pressure from advertisers or sponsors
Latvian Law on Advertising
The distributer of the advertisement must divide the advertisement from other forms of information
Latvian Law on Radio and TV
Advertising and TV shop can not exceed 20 % of the total broadcasting time per day. The advertising time can not exceed 15 % of the total broadcasting time per day
The broadcasting time for advertising and TV shop can not exceed 20 % (12 minutes) per hour. In programs defined as National Order program the percentage can not exceed 10 (6 minutes)
Hidden advertising and hidden TV shop is illegal
Except for self-advertising it is not legal in advertising and TV shop to use the image and voice material of persons that on a regular basis head the news report or other programs focusing on current problems in the society
Latvian Law on Radio and TV
If a program is sponsored, this has to clearly shown at the start or in the end of the program by giving the name of the sponsor and the company’s logo
The sponsor can not influence the content and the choice of time of distribution of the sponsored program and thus limiting the broadcasting organization’s editorial independence
In the sponsored program it is not allowed to advertise products or services of the sponsorer including direct or invitational signs regarding the purchase or rent of the product or service
It is prohibited to sponsor news (except for narrow tematic news) (!) or programs focusing on current problems in the society
Is hidden advertising corruption?
Medical corruption – we pay one official sum to get treatment, pay another sum unofficially to avoid lines and get a better treatment
Construction corruption – companies pay one official sum to take part in a construction competition, pay another sum unofficially to win the competition
Media corruption – advertisers pay one sum officially for ads, another sum unofficially for hidden advertising to get better sales
Indicators of hidden advertising
It does not have to be hidden advertising, could also be poor journalism, the more systematic the more suspicious
Indicators of hidden advertising
A) the material is one-sided or uncritical
In the interview there are only pleasant questions or only unpleasant questions, the attitude of the journalist is seen, shaking his head, moving his head etc.
In the material there is very often refered to unofficial information, to unanimous sources
Very often emotional words are used in the program/story, positive or negative, praising or slaughtering
Indicators of hidden advertising
A) the material is one-sided or uncritical
There is information only about what one part of the story or program thinks
There is an invitation to support or not to support somebody or something, or to buy or not to buy something
Indicators of hidden advertising
B) The material shows up without a clear, obvious reason other than to popularize or slander a person or a product, here the word obvious refers to the context, what does the media usually make stories about for the informed reader, spectator, listener, based on what people generally would understand is current and important
A person, party or company is very often reflected or portrayed in a very positive or negative way, huge coverage for events of giving
There is much information about a person’s life that is not connected to his professional job
Indicators of hidden advertising
PR material is used in the program
Advertising visually and in other respect copies or looks like a normal journalistic story/program and is not clearly presented as advertising
Advertising for a company or party appear visually or in other ways in the background when a report is made
A person is reguarly invited to give expert comments in his field of operations when there are other well-qualified experts on the market, as well – bank directors, politicians
Indicators of hidden advertising
C) Sponsoring of thematic news or current programs where a representative from the company or linked to the company sponsoring the program takes part or a person speaking positively about the company or something that could be in the interest of the company sponsoring the program takes part, examples beer company reps, bank reps, restaurant reps, local governments
Latvian cases
Election cases Other cases
Pre-election monitoring 2001
Monitoring of the Latvian 12 national and regional newspapers as well as 4 national TV stations prior to the local elections Monitoring organized by the Soros Foundation and Delna (Transparency International Latvia) Press monitored from February 10 – March 10, 2001 TV stations monitored from February 28 – March 12 Final day of local elections: March 11
Pre-election monitoring 2001
Objective: To monitor the press or TV stations in the pre-election period in order to find out whether there is journalistic material that can be classified as hidden political advertising Journalists’ comments and editorials were not analyzed Found cases do not immediate imply that they are hidden political advertising, but they show that professional and ethical principals in journalism have been broken that again can be both a result of ‘buying the media’ and/or lack of professionalism.
TV monitoring 2001
TV monitoring of: Latvian State TV – Program 1 (LTV-1) Latvian State TV – Program 2 (LTV-2) Latvian Independent TV – (LNT) TV3
111 videotapes with all programs except for series and entertainment programs where politicians did not take part – totally approximately 20 000 minutes – monitored by Vidzeme students
TV monitoring 2001
Number of suspicious cases in TV stations
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
LNT LTV-2 TV3 LTV
TV channel Number of suspicious cases
Number of cases in percent of total number of cases
LNT 109 51%
LTV2 78 36%
TV3 15 7%
LTV1 13 6%
In total 215 100%
TV monitoring 2001
Number of suspicious cases in by TV programs
0
20
40
60
80
LNT Brokastis Biznesa Ekonomika Medicīna un mēs Viļņa Ruļļa sarunas Vēlēšanas gaidot
TV channel Program Number of suspicious cases (in actual numbers)
LNT "LNT Brokastis" 80
LTV-2 "Biznesa ekonomika, Diskusija. Apskats. Smaids"
37
LTV-2 "Medicīna un mēs" 8
LNT "Vēlēšanas gaidot" 8
LNT "Viļņa Ruļļa sarunas" 8
TV monitoring 2001 example
LTV-2 “Biznesa ekonomika. Diskusija. Apskats. Smaids.”
several interviews with candidates from LC and TB/LNNK, candidates from PCTVL and TP not invited at all simple and pleasant questions portrayal interviews superlatives used by leading journalist in describing the guests became more and more positive advertising in the program very much look like the material in the program
TV monitoring 2001 example
LNT LNT Brokastis, Vēlēšanas gaidot, Viļņa Ruļļa sarunas, Egila Zariņa rīta mikslis, Balzams dvēselei, Egila Zariņa gardēžu klubs, Baibas Auzānes Mājas akadēmija often the politicians were not presented as persons that are candidates for the local elections overall easy and pleasant questions
LNT Sunday news – Nedēļa refering to inofficial information, rumors, unanimous sources
TV monitoring 2001
Interviews with candidates in all TV stations by party
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
LC TB/LNNK TP DP LSDSP LZS LP LDP PCTVL LC,TP,KDS
Party Number of interviews
In percent of total
LC 62 43%
TB/LNNK 28 19%
TP 21 14%
DP 10 7%
LSDSP 8 6%
LZS 6 4%
LP 4 3%
LDP 3 2%
PCTVL 2 1,3%
LC,TP,KDS 1 0,7%
In total 145 100%
TV monitoring 2001
Interviews with candidates in all TV stations by politician
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Poča Blonskis Krastiņš Kalnkaziņš Kosītis Ozols Boka Vīksna
Name of candidate (party) Number of interviews
Aija Poča (LC) 14
Aloizs Blonskis (LC) 12
Edmunds Krastiņš (TP) 9
Agnis Kalnkaziņš (TP) 9
Valdis Kalnozols (TB/LNNK) 8
Jānis KKosītis (LC) 7
Jānis Ozols (LC) 7
Viesturs Boka (TB/LNNK) 6
Ludmila Vīksna (LC) 5
Press monitoring 2001
6 national newspapers: Lauku Avīze, Diena, NRA, Rīgas Balss, Час, Панорама Латвии
6 regional newspapers: Liesma, Rēzeknes Vēstis, Zemgales Ziņas, Zemgales Ziņas, Kurzemes Vārds, Ventas Balss, Миллион
Press monitoring 2001
one-sided/uncritical (11%)
popularize/slander (83 %)
both (8 %)
232 suspicious cases found
Press monitoring 2001
62 % of cases in 3 Russian-language newspapers 24 % of cases in local newspapers
In total
LocalRussian
0
50
100
150
200
250
In total
Local
Russian
Press monitoring 2001
Suspicious cases in national newspapers
One-si
dedne
ss/un
crit..
.
Popula
rize/ s
lande
r
Both
Diena
Lauku Avize
Час
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Diena
NRA
Lauku Avize
Rigas Balss1
Час
Панорама Латвии
Press monitoring 2001
Suspicious cases in local newspapers Ventas Balss
Zemgales Ziņas
Kurzemes Vārds
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Ventas Balss
Rēzeknes Vēstis
Zemgales Ziņas
Liesma
Kurzemes Vārds
Миллион
Press monitoring 2001
5 problems seen in 78 % of the stories with suspicious material
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Problems
Ads not marked
"Pseudo" news
Positive interviews
Missing views
Non-political positiveinformation
Миллион
Press and TV monitoring 2001
Reactions Negative articles Positive articles Threats of court case
Media monitoring 2002
Project continued Press – monitoring of 56 newspapers for 60 days (August 5 – October 5, 2002)
17 national newspapers (dailies and weeklies) 39 regional/local newspapers
Media monitoring 2002
Project continued TV – monitoring of 5 TV stations
LTV-1, LTV-2, LNT, TV3, TV5 Radio – monitoring of 8 radio stations
LR1, LR2, LR4, SWH, SWH+, Radio Skonto, Mix FM, PIK
Random analysis from August 5 – September 3 Analysis of all programs from September 6 – October 6
TV monitoring 2001- 2002
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
LNT LTV-2 TV3 LTV
2001: period of analysis: 13 days2002: period of analysis: 39 days
Press monitoring 2001- 2002
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Numbers of suspicious cases in press
2001: period of analysis: 30 days2001: 12 papers analyzed2002: period of analysis: 60 days2002: 56 papers analyzed
Radio monitoring 2002
0
20
40
60
80
100
LR1 LR2 LR4 SWH SWH+ Skonto Mix FM Radio PIK
Radio PIK: 100 out of 103 suspicious cases
Press monitoring 2002
Suspicious cases in national newspapers in Latvian
3
10
16
17
4
4
0 5 10 15 20
Diena
Jaunā avīze
Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīze
Lauku Avīze
Rīgas Balss
Vakara Ziņas
Press monitoring 2002
Overview of parties reflected in a positive way in national newspaper in Latvian
11
6 65
2 21
1 1 1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Latvijasceļš
Tautaspartija
LSDSP J aunaislaiks
LPP Centrs TB/LNNK Latviešupartija
ZZS SDS
Press monitoring 2002
Overview of parties reflected in a negative way in national newspaper in Latvian
11
2
1
3
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
TP LC JL LPP
Press monitoring 2002
Suspicious cases in national newspapers in Russian
6
27
69
14
16
75
10
21
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
7 Sekretov
Čas
Panorama Latvii
Subbota
Telegraf
Vesti Segodnja
Vesti
Večerņaja Riga
Press monitoring 2002
Negative (blue) and positive (red) coverage of political parties in national newspapers in Russian
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
SLP LPP JL PCTVL LSDSP ZZS
Local Suspicious cases in local newspapers in Latvian
139
8777
66
555
44444
3333333
2222
111111
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Tukuma Ziòotâjs
Talsu Vçstis
Kurzemnieks
Rîgas Apriòí a Avîze
Stars
Ziemïlatvija
Dzirkstele
Zemgale
Brîvâ Daugava
Kurzemes Vârds
Saldus Zeme
Auseklis
Ogres Vçstis
Rezeknes Vestis
Zemgales Ziòas
Vietçjâ
Bauskas dzîve
Druva
Latgales Laiks
Madonas Ziòas
Staburags
Vaduguns
Ventas Balss
Ludzas Zeme
Liesma
Liepâjas Acis
Novadnieks
Alûksnes Ziòas
Ezerzeme
J aunais Vçstnesis
Kursas Laiks
Neatkarîgâs Tukuma Ziòas
Ogres Zinas
Local press monitoring 2002
Overview of parties reflected in a positive way in local newspaper in Latvian
1
1
3
3
3
5
8
12
14
18
31
33
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Latviešu partija
Brīvības partija
SDS
ZZS
PCTVL
Centrs
JL
LPP
LSDSP
TB/LNNK
LC
TP
Local press 2002
Suspicious cases in local newspapers in Russian
47
29
8 62 1 1
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Миллион Динабургсегодня
Наша газета Сейчас КапиталЛатгалии
Новаяназета
ПанорамаРезекне
Local press 2002
Overview of parties reflected in a positive way in local newspaper in Russian
30
8
15
11
10
7
1
1
4
5
2
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Latgales gaisma
PCTVL
Latvijas brīvības partija
Latvijas pirmā partija
LSDRP
SDS
Tautas partija
Latvijas ceļš
LSDLP
J aunais laiks
ZZS
Other cases
Sponsored news Interviews with ministers and mayors “Commercial news” Business people portrayals Higher educaction cases
Discussion
Relationship between media ownership and hidden advertising in Latvia and Lithuania
Thank you!