8-What’s the difference between news, opinion, and sponsored content?

How to identify different types of media content

By: Paul Cuno-Booth

Outlets: Granite State News Collaborative

Published: March 20, 2026

Words: 543

Last Updated: 17 hours, 56 minutes ago

Body Text Preview

Many people assume everyone who works at a news organization is responsible for everything that appears in its pages. But in most newsrooms, the journalists who report the news operate separately from the writers and editors who produce opinion content. Those distinctions aren’t always obvious to readers, which can make it harder to tell the difference between news reporting, opinion pieces and sponsored content.

A 2018 survey found that, while three-quarters of Americans …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us