Advertising as payment: Information transactions in the South Korean newspaper market

The present study attempts to examine how market-driven journalism and a decrease in newspaper readership have affected information subsidy patterns between public relations practitioners and journalists in South Korea. Findings suggest that newspaper journalists have become dependent on information subsidies more than ever before, especially advertising as a payment, which play a significant role in the negotiation of favorable relationships between sources and newspapers. Thus, the study suggests that under the economic constraints that the newspaper industry faces, advertisement as a payment seem to be more influential than the more conventional information subsidies.

► Findings suggest that newspaper journalists have become dependent on information subsidies more than ever before, especially advertisement transaction, which play a significant role in the negotiation of favorable relationships between sources and newspapers. ► Noteworthy is that the conventional role of gate keeping has eroded with the increase of advertising cutbacks. ► The study suggests that under the economic constraints that the newspaper industry faces, advertising as a payment in exchange of news contents seem to be more influential than the more conventional information subsidies.