The issue with sponsored content is that it often seems to blur the lines between editorial content and advertising. When an ad looks exactly like an article, it can create confusion among readers. However, Sulzberger wrote in a memo to staffers that there would be a “strict separation between the newsroom and the job of creating content for the new native ads.”

The Times will distinguish native ads by placing a blue border around them, along with a colored bar and a “Paid Post” notification.