Corporate sustainability in Chile's leading newspapers: A critical analysis of the role of native advertising

Abstract

Sustainability is key in corporate communication, allowing companies to demonstrate their commitment to global challenges such as the climate crisis or social inequality while aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This approach helps strengthen their reputation, leading companies to compete for media visibility. In a context where media revenues have declined, native advertising has become a crucial tool for presenting sustainability-related initiatives in paid spaces that mimic the format of traditional media. Although effective for positioning messages, this practice raises challenges, as it does not always ensure transparency or allow readers to identify its sponsored nature. This study analyzed 1,421 sustainability-related publications in Chile’s leading newspapers during 2024 through content analysis, complemented by linguistic processing tools using LIWC. The results indicate that 43% of these publications correspond to paid content and that 31% lack explicit labeling of their sponsored nature. These findings highlight the need for sponsored content to comply with universal transparency standards, ensuring that readers can easily recognize its commercial intent. It is also suggested that the media should be perceived solely as transmitters of information —not as actors facilitating strategic business messages— since doing so could jeopardize their credibility.