New York: US President Donald Trump has possibly attracted more attention to a New York Times advertisement than he may have intended.
The news organisation will air its first TV ad in seven years during the Academy Awards on Sunday night, as the paper looks to highlight independent journalism amid Trump's attacks on the media as "fake news".
The Oscars is traditionally the most-watched non-sports event broadcast in the United States.
In a tweet to his 25.6 million followers on Sunday, Trump made sure everyone knew the ad is coming, potentially ensuring his own fans will hear the message.
While incorrectly implying it was the media outlet's first ad ever, he said the Times was using it to help "save its failing reputation".
For first time the failing @nytimes will take an ad (a bad one) to help save its failing reputation. Try reporting accurately & fairly!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 26, 2017
Since Trump's election victory, the Times has seen an uptick in digital subscribers and revenue even as its business on the print side declines.
During the most recent quarter, the paper added 276,000 digital subscribers and grew digital ad revenue by nearly 11 per cent, accounting for more than 40 per cent of its overall ad revenues.
The New York Times, the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal and Gannett Co are building on the online readership they gained during the 2016 presidential election by marketing unbiased reporting as a sales strategy.
The New York Times commercial is part of a broader brand campaign, the paper's first in a decade, that aims to position the newspaper as a reliable outlet in the face of the rise of the "fake news" epidemic.
The company's 30-second commercial repeats the words "The Truth Is..." on screen, with voices in background getting increasingly louder, with different endings including "our nation is more divided than ever" and "alternative facts are lies".
It says the truth is hard and ends with: "The Truth is more important now than ever."
Trump has repeatedly bashed the press saying the media was "the enemy of the American people".
with Reuters
