A company’s newsroom can provide a useful and valuable tool to help them communicate with the public. Corporate news includes any information related to a company that is published in a journalistic context, such as press releases. It can include product launches, service updates, major milestones like M&As, and industry awards. It can also include events and community initiatives that the company is involved in. These types of news are often framed as “news” instead of advertising, helping them feel less like marketing and more like informative content.
One concern about corporations owning media outlets is that it will make it harder for the outlet to be objective or unbiased, as journalism traditionally strives to be. This is especially concerning for local news outlets that are owned by a corporation, because of the high costs associated with operating a newspaper, television station, or radio station in a small town. The bottom line is often that profit must take priority over truth, and this can lead to skewed or biased reporting.
Another issue that arises with corporate ownership is the potential to downplay or suppress negative news, which can have serious impacts on a company’s reputation. For example, if an oil tanker owned by a company runs aground and leaks oil into the ocean, this is likely to be headline news worldwide. The company’s newspaper may then have to decide whether to report the facts as they appear, which could damage the company’s reputation, or downplay or conceal the story in order to protect its profits.