For advertisers and news publishers, brand sponsored content has offered attractive solutions to problems of ad-avoidance and financing journalism. This book is an investigation into the practices, possibilities and problems of sponsored editorial content across various national and regional contexts. Sponsored editorial content is material with similar qualities and format to content that is typically published on a platform or by a content provider, but which is paid for by a third party. Brand sponsored content may not be the remedy for ad-dependent media some advocates predicted but its expansion has impacted on the organisation, practices and identities of journalism in profound and far-reaching ways. This book explores the features and implications of content that blends, merges and disguises material that is sponsored with material that is or appears to be independent editorial. The chapters range across countries and regions from China and Israel to Europe and North America. Following a general introduction, authors address political and commercial sponsorship across production, content and audience research, developing and combining these in innovative ways to advance the study of paid-for content in contemporary digital journalism. This book was originally published as a special issue of the journal Digital Journalism.

It provides upper level undergraduate and postgraduate students with an authoritative, accessible and highly relevant exploration of critical discourse within a real world advertising context. It is clearly structured into 'Practice', 'Policies' and 'Problems' sections, helping to guide readers clearly through the issues highlighted and illustrate the interrelated nature of these topics in the media and marketing branding of content. It presents vital topics that cross borders, exploring issues of content branding by multi-national and global media and marketing organisation, giving the book truly international relevance.

It provides upper level undergraduate and postgraduate students with an authoritative, accessible and highly relevant exploration of critical discourse within a real world advertising context. It is clearly structured into 'Practice', 'Policies' and 'Problems' sections, helping to guide readers clearly through the issues highlighted and illustrate the interrelated nature of these topics in the media and marketing branding of content. It presents vital topics that cross borders, exploring issues of content branding by multi-national and global media and marketing organisation, giving the book truly international relevance.

How the media are organised and funded is central to understanding their role in society. "Critical Political Economy of the Media" provides a clear, comprehensive and insightful introduction to the political economic analysis of contemporary media.

Jonathan Hardy undertakes a critical survey of political economy scholarship encompassing worldwide literature, issues and debates, and relationships with other academic approaches. He assesses different ways of making sense of media convergence and digitalisation, media power and influence, and transformations across communication markets. Many of the problems of the media that prompted critical political economy research remain salient, he argues, but the approach must continue to adapt to new conditions and challenges. Hardy advances the case for a revitalised critical media studies for the 21st century.

Topics covered include:

• media ownership and financing
• news and entertainment
• convergence and the Internet
• media globalisation
• advertising and media
• alternative media
• media policy and regulation

Introducing key concepts and research, this book explains how political economy can assist students, researchers and citizens to investigate and address vital questions about the media today.

Western Media Systems offers a concise, authoritative and critical introduction to media systems in North America and Western Europe. The book offers a wide-ranging survey and an original contribution to comparative media analysis addressing the economic, social, political, regulatory and cultural aspects of Western media systems. Jonathan Hardy takes a thematic approach, guiding the reader through critical issues and debates, introducing key concepts and specialist literature. Western Media Systems will be essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying comparative and global media.

The Advertising Handbook provides a critical introduction to advertising and marketing practices today. Contributions from leading international scholars and practitioners offer extended coverage of the contemporary shifts and pressures reshaping the marketing communications (or advertising and marketing) industries and their relationship to the consumer. Profiles and case studies illustrate innovation and diversification among advertising, marketing and public relations companies. Discussion questions aid learning and encourage debate about the activities and influence of advertising today. This Fourth Edition explores the growing significance of: the influence of 'Big Data' and automation in digital advertising; tracking and profiling users across digital communications for targeted and personalised marketing communications; the rise of media and advertising integration through sponsored content, product placement, native advertising and other forms of branded content; the dynamic shifts in ad spending and media-advertising relationships across legacy media, online and social media; and the complex profile of consumer behaviour that produces new challenges for brands and branding. Fully revised and updated, this new edition of The Advertising Handbook is a comprehensive and accessible guide to contemporary advertising and marketing theory and practice, designed to meet the requirements, interests and terms of reference of the most recent generation of media and advertising students.

How the media are organised and funded is central to understanding their role in society. "Critical Political Economy of the Media" provides a clear, comprehensive and insightful introduction to the political economic analysis of contemporary media.

Jonathan Hardy undertakes a critical survey of political economy scholarship encompassing worldwide literature, issues and debates, and relationships with other academic approaches. He assesses different ways of making sense of media convergence and digitalisation, media power and influence, and transformations across communication markets. Many of the problems of the media that prompted critical political economy research remain salient, he argues, but the approach must continue to adapt to new conditions and challenges. Hardy advances the case for a revitalised critical media studies for the 21st century.

Topics covered include:

• media ownership and financing
• news and entertainment
• convergence and the Internet
• media globalisation
• advertising and media
• alternative media
• media policy and regulation

Introducing key concepts and research, this book explains how political economy can assist students, researchers and citizens to investigate and address vital questions about the media today.

Western Media Systems offers a critical introduction to media systems in North America and Western Europe. The book offers a wide-ranging survey of comparative media analysis addressing the economic, social, political, regulatory and cultural aspects of Western media systems.

Jonathan Hardy takes a thematic approach, guiding the reader through critical issues and debates, introducing key concepts and specialist literature. Western Media Systems is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying comparative and global media.

The Advertising Handbook provides a critical introduction to advertising and marketing practices today. Contributions from leading international scholars and practitioners offer extended coverage of the contemporary shifts and pressures reshaping the marketing communications (or advertising and marketing) industries and their relationship to the consumer. Profiles and case studies illustrate innovation and diversification among advertising, marketing and public relations companies. Discussion questions aid learning and encourage debate about the activities and influence of advertising today. This Fourth Edition explores the growing significance of: the influence of 'Big Data' and automation in digital advertising; tracking and profiling users across digital communications for targeted and personalised marketing communications; the rise of media and advertising integration through sponsored content, product placement, native advertising and other forms of branded content; the dynamic shifts in ad spending and media-advertising relationships across legacy media, online and social media; and the complex profile of consumer behaviour that produces new challenges for brands and branding. Fully revised and updated, this new edition of The Advertising Handbook is a comprehensive and accessible guide to contemporary advertising and marketing theory and practice, designed to meet the requirements, interests and terms of reference of the most recent generation of media and advertising students.

Cross-Media Promotion is the first book-length study of a defining feature of contemporary media, the promotion by media of their allied media interests. The book explores the range of forms of cross-promotion including synergistic marketing of mega-brands such as Harry Potter; promotional plugs in news media; repurposing media content, stars and brands across other media and outlets; product placement, and the integration of media content and advertising. Incorporating specialist literature, yet written in a clear, accessible style, the book combines three areas of study: media industry practices, media policy, and media theory. It examines the dynamics of cross-media promotion across converging media, drawing on a range of examples from the United States and the United Kingdom. Synergy and intertextuality are explored alongside critical debates about the 'problems' of cross-promotion. The book also offers a critical evaluation of media policy responses from the late 1980s to the present, which the book argues, have failed to grapple with the problems of media power, market power and commercialism generated by intensifying cross-media promotion.