Canwest accused of unethical ads

An environmental group is accusing Canwest Global Communications of blurring the lines between journalism and propaganda with its six-week ad feature on climate change.

The Sierra Club of Canada has filed a complaint with Advertising Standards Canada, saying the full-page ads violate the ad regulator’s ethical rule: “No advertisement shall be presented in a format or style which conceals its intent.”

Additonal Excerpt:

In partnership with Shell Canada, one piece is headlined: “Climate change: a reality check,” and is accompanied by a “myth buster” fact box.

Newspapers traditionally label a paid editorial ad as an “advertising feature, but this is touted as a “special information feature.” The “features” have appeared in several of Canwest’s major dailies, including the Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal and Ottawa Citizen.