Fracking and MSNBC: Network's 'Lean Forward' Website Funded With Sneaky 'Native' Pro-Fracking Ads

"Native content is a digital advertising method in which the advertiser attempts to gain attention by providing content in the context of the user’s experience, matching both the form and function of the environment in which it is placed," explained a recent MarketingWeek article. If banner ads and pop-up ads are "overt ads," then native ads are best described as "covert ads," akin to the controversial "video news releases" for TV news.

MSNBC "Leans Forward" Into Running "Native Ads" Promoting Fracking (via Desmogblog)

Three years into its "Lean Forward" re-branding campaign, MSNBC has given new meaning to the catchphrase, leaning forward into running branded content promoting hydraulic fracturing ("fracking").  Looking to beef up its web presence, MSNBC has brought…