There are few things more important to a democracy than the existence of a free press. And while the Constitution safeguards the press from government intrusion, it does nothing to ensure a press independent from monied interests. The vast majority of major news sources are advertiser-sponsored, and there is a constant tension between unhindered reporting and appealing to vital ad companies. In recent years, there has been a progressive adoption of advertiser-written or influenced articles, disguised as genuine journalism, because banner ads are extremely ineffective at attracting customers.

It is unfortunate to see the industry going down this road. According to certain analysts, 90% of publishers have or plan to run native adverts (www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/20…).