In the Feb. 5 issue of The Eagle, an advertisement ran on the bottom of the sports page which does not look like an ad. In fact, it blends in so well with the rest of the page that it looks like part of our editorial content -ÿa mistake that we regret.
AU Men's Basketball head coach Jeff Jones decided, in a kind gesture, to buy space on The Eagle's sports page to thank the fans in the form of a personal letter. This was not a letter to the editor, however. Letters to the Editor are run only on our opinion page, are submitted by readers and are edited for clarity (not content).
This ad, however, was not a submitted letter but a paid advertisement. It appeared on the bottom of page 12 in a box, not unlike other boxes used to display editorial features, with his signature in it.
Some may wonder, why is this a big deal? It is a big deal because we, unintentionally, misled our readers - an unethical mistake that we regret.
By blurring the lines between independent editorial content and paid advertisement, The Eagle appeared to endorse the Men's Basketball team. Our mission is neither to advocate for or against the sports department or the University, but instead to seek out and report the truth.
Advertisements should, if they may be confused with editorial content, be labeled as such. Just pick up The Washington Post or Newsweek, and in the top center of each ad are two or three simple words: 'paid advertisement' or 'special advertisement section.'
Especially with the emphasis placed on the media after Jason Blair's scandal rocked The New York Times, it has become increasingly important for the news media to act ethically and with transparency. We hold ourselves to the same standards that we hold other organizations. While many may think that journalism ethics is nothing more than an oxymoron, we disagree. It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword, and The Eagle, like any other publication, has a responsibility and commitment to its readers. One small way we can accomplish this is by labeling our advertisements when they look like editorial content.
