Vol: 1, Issue: 3 2011

Page: 34-43

Covert Advertising in the Context of Media Ethics on the Example of Slovenian Press

Rishi Mohan

Advertising has become an indispensable part of modern information society, which allows companies that sell, the media source of funds, and consumers a quality choice between different products and services. Advertisers have at their disposal a lot of features, tools, techniques and ways to try to attract potential customers. Due to the increasing competition in the market often choose new, legally and ethically inadmissible methods of advertising which is to attract attention and increase sales, one of these ways is covert advertising. We consider advertising to be covert when the ordered and paid content, which should be performed like an announcement, is shown like an editorial content of the defined media. Such contributions are completely unobjective and unethical since they are not marked as advertising messages. They are shown like independent journalistic contributions and the public believes them therefore they are typical examples of leading public astray. With the publishing of hybrid messages the credibility of the media is being lost. Longitudinally, more credibility will be on the side of that media, which will not indulge on the pressure of advertisers and their own interests to gaining profit.