I’ve been using Apple News+ for years now. But I’m increasingly being fed bullshit stories from legitimate publications that are nothing more than thinly veiled promotions for products. I’m sure they get a cut.
“I’m a chef and this is my favorite blender and you can get it for 30% off at Amazon!”
I’m increasingly being fed bullshit stories from legitimate publications that are nothing more than thinly veiled promotions for products
This is probably content being bought or commissioned outside of what we'd think as editorial purview years ago. It could be AI gen articles, also, which eliminates the biggest cost—you not only don't have to pay wages for staff, you don't have to pay a pittance for freelancers, either!
When I maintained my own website, or did special camera review article blogs, I always put in links to Amazon in case readers were interested in buying what they were reading about. I didn't make it quite as blatant as:
“I’m a chef and this is my blender and you can get it for 30% off at Amazon!”
If that's an actual quote, it sounds like tech that's actually building live links as the page is served. I always wrote in my articles that if readers used the links I would get a commission. When I see that and I want to buy, I always used the links because... well, writers know how little they get paid.
That editorial staff on big name (you didn't state which) content providers allow this to fly does show a general tolerance for this type of thing over the last couple decades.
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