Journalism, Independent and Not

[Commentary] Of the many attempts at new approaches to publishing -- native advertising, custom content, sponsored content -- Verizon’s SugarString sets a new low. It was a bad idea with a pratfall of a rollout, a transparent attempt to project brand might into a very controversial conversation. The fact that the name of the corporation bringing you the information is at the bottom of every story, not the top, is an attempt to hide the fundamental intent.

What had been an attempt by Verizon to build engagement and relevance had precisely the opposite effect, coming off as a kind of Astroturfing -- grass roots that are anything but -- rendered in pixels. The broadly skeptical response to the site serves as a reminder that publishing looks easy, but is filled with peril. But if brands are less willing to just slap expensive ads onto sites they have no control over, how is smart, good content going to be underwritten?