摘要：This article attempts to shed light on the nature and origins of hidden, covert advertising and its presence in the Slovenian mass media. To outline the specificity of the covert advertising in relation to news content and so-called hybrid messages, this paper defines the elements that are specific for covert advertising. It is argued, on the basis of the relevant legal and self-regulatory framework, that covert advertising is unethical, but also illegal and is a consequence of a specific, market-driven approach to media, an approach that has been dominant in the last fifty years. This approach is dominant also in the Slovenian media. The Western democracies have at the same time also developed a new phase in ad vertising, called responsible advertising. However this type of advertising is not dominant in the Slovenian media, as there are numerous cases of covert advertising, breaches of law and other unethical and illegal practices in media and advertising. This suggests that the Slovenian mass media have become commercial, market-driven and advertising-driven; however they have not become also transparent and responsible when it comes to their functioning and advertising.
关键词：covert advertising; irresponsible advertising; media contents; mass media; media ethics; Slovenia
