I regret having to post an article like this from a primary ruling class source. Because this excellent report on the growing trend of directly produced corporate news did not come from alternative media, it is a very bad sad sign of the times we live in.
While news organizations with concentrated ownership are increasingly covering news with a pro-corporate bias and frequently publish corporate-sourced articles in their media, corporations are now engaging directly in their own form of journalism by publishing "news" on their websites using the talents of professional journalists who can no longer find employment in traditional media. This excellent article tells that story.
Referring to "Coca-Cola Journey", an example of a corporate news platform, Ashley Brown [the former director of Coca-Cola’s content marketing program] provided these revelations:
Much of the content...is produced by former journalists.... Brands need storytellers, and journalists represent the greatest pool of storytelling talent out there, he says. At Coca-Cola, we wanted people who know how to package up a story with tension and emotion, and more importantly know how to do it quickly and efficiently.Very frequently such "news" reports get picked up and spread throughout social media.