These days the media landscape is very different from what existed even a decade ago. Today, much of the content we see is sponsored. Sometimes this sponsored content is so well disguised that you truly have to read it, be suspicious, and then search for something, somewhere that might reveal or disclose that what you just read or viewed was indeed "sponsored". A more elegant way to describe it is "Paid For".

I'm approached several times a year for media exposure. Many of these so-called media placements are obviously paid-for advertising but these days they are often much more sneakily disguised and less obvious.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist at all, but I have learned how many people in our midst have ulterior motives, messaging all sorts of things with specific, calculated agendas. Mostly for profit. Why would someone, a leader, who is supposed to protect and defend the rights of real estate agents and their clients speak up in defense of entities specifically targeting our profession to enrich themselves at our expense? Why? Be aware of some opinion pieces too. Often those opinions also drive agendas.

Consider the lesson of DeBeers, the diamond company once worth $18 billion that pioneered product placement with "A Diamond is forever" slipped into James Bond movies? They're about to be sold for $1 billion, a fraction of their original value. Once revealed, undisclosed advertising can cause devalued legitimacy.

In a world of misinformation, paid political influencing, AI-generated content, we have to question things. Trust, but verify. And maybe also demand clear and full disclosure up front. Oh, sorry, I forgot: it's already a legal requirement for media outlets, publishers, and digital creators to clearly and conspicuously disclose when content has been paid for. Maybe a good time to start enforcing the law? Or simply call them out, loudly?