From Rick Edmonds/Poynter
The nonprofit Maine Trust for Local News has found itself on the receiving end of sharp criticism for accepting more than $100,000 in sponsored content advertising from the state’s department of education.
The Maine Wire, a small rival with a conservative viewpoint, reported on the ads and accused the trust — and its lead outlet, The Portland Press-Herald — of unethically carrying water for Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.
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The first in a series of six sponsored pieces is fluffy as can be — headlined “Maine teachers share their excitement for the new school year.” However, it also is clearly and prominently labeled as sponsored in several places.
The Wire chose to ignore that article-style pieces became a staple of digital advertising more than a decade ago. The Federal Trade Commission has taken the position that as long as sponsorship is disclosed, it’s not deception (though violations, especially among influencers, are not uncommon).
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The format is typically employed by companies burnishing their image, but there is no obvious reason the door should be slammed shut on a self-promoting government placement.
This one is objectionable, the trust’s critics say. “Imagine being the statehouse reporter who now has to talk with conservative Republicans who are critical of the Democratically controlled state government,” a tipster emailed me.
Lisa DeSisto, the Maine Trust’s CEO, sent me an opposite take. She wrote, in part, “Branded content is a growing piece of our advertising product offerings. We've attracted new customers to the Maine Trust by offering branded content products, and we think they’re an important part of our revenue goals. In developing these products, nothing has been more important to us than creating a clear distinction between branded content advertising and our journalism.”
The Maine Trust is the largest of several state nonprofits created by the four-year-old National Trust for Local News. Unlike other startups addressing community news shortfalls, it acquires outlets directly. I wrote about the National Trust’s expansion and complex structure earlier this summer. A secondary issue in the current controversy is whether the trust has been transparent in saying who’s in charge and where primary funding comes from.
