Advertiser pressure on daily newspapers - A survey of advertising sales executives

Despite increasing concern over advertisers' influence on news content, little is known about how advertising sales executives handle balancing their business goals and the ultimate organizational goal-integrity of the news product-in their daily decision making. This study examines how and to what extent advertising sales executives deal with advertiser influences on news content. A survey of 219 advertising directors at U.S. daily newspapers showed frequent conflicts between the business side and the journalism side of the newspaper operation. Those at small newspapers or chain-owned newspapers were more likely to endorse scenarios where editorial integrity was compromised to please or refrain from offending their advertisers.