Abstract

The current study examined the normative boundaries of advertising by examining metadiscourse on native advertising. An analysis of 136 Adweek articles uncovered ways in which occupational actors talk about the boundary-spanning practice of native advertising. Metadiscourse represented a willingness and need to experiment within the “new frontier” of technological innovation and that external forces, such as the Federal Trade Commission, are better equipped to enforce the rules. However, norms were contested including those centered on transparency. Lastly, metadiscourse addressed the interprofessional collaboration occurring among publishers, technology platforms, and content creators. The collaborative strategies employed appeared indicative of paradigm zoning, a jurisdictional means to substantiate (and relinquish) expertise in boundary-spanning practices such as native advertising.