Setopati engages in unethical business endorsement?
Sponsorship is an important, if not the only, source of revenue for digital only news platforms like Setopati, Ratopati. As an emerging online portal ourselves, we understand its value! That said, for an online news portal to sponsor a post of a business amounts to clear conflict of interest. Setopati’s recent sponsored post is a blaring example of this.
News portal in Nepal seem to act like a brand endorsement portal instead. For a juggernaut like Setopati, it is simply unethical to sponsor an advertisement as a genuine post. Had the post included a disclaimer that the post is sponsored, it would have been understandable. Thousands of Nepalese log in to Setopati because they trust the portal for making unbiased objective post! However, it seems like Setopati does not care about its unbiased credentials. What is even more questionable is the fact that the post sponsored by Setopati’s official facebook page is not even an article on Setopati but a different website. What can be gleaned from this is the unholy alliance the business forged with Setopati to leverage its trust and reach to sell their products.
However, this is not an isolated event. There is a chatter that another Facebook page that built its credibility and reputation by posting authentic news on Nepal Bandhs too charges certain amount to post ‘motivating’ businesses ad under the guise of a ‘genuine post’. The fact that these news portals and online pages unethically direct their readers to a business product is questionable, and perhaps a criminal offence.
We understand that advertisements are essential for online businesses to function. However, there are certain protocols that media portals need to follow. Media is one of the most important foundations for a vibrant democracy, and we have no issues with media houses making a living for itself and its staff from advertisement. Our issue is with this sneaky, unethical and perhaps criminal enterprise that online news portals and some advertisers have resorted to.