Journalists, PR professionals and the practice of paid news in Central and Eastern Europe: An overview

Abstract

This article maps the practice of paid news in Central and Eastern Europe using a review of previous research and a set of exploratory semi-structured interviews with journalists and PR practitioners across 10 post-communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe N = 164. Paid news refers to the practice of journalists and/or news organizations taking money often offered through the intermediary of a PR professional or PR company to write puff pieces for businesses or political interests without indicating that the content is in fact paid for, i.e. a form of corruption of both journalism and PR. This presentation suggests that the existence of the practice is to a great extent systemic, as both journalists and PR professionals are part of a common “culture of corruption” and thus the continued existence of the practice is also a de-professionalizing influence on both occupations, where representatives of both spheres have strong incentives to keep utilizing paid news.