A screen shot Canwest's "special information feature" taken from one of its papers the Montreal Gazette

An environmental group is accusing Canwest Global Communications of blurring the lines between journalism and propaganda with its six-week ad feature on climate change.

The Sierra Club of Canada has filed a complaint with Advertising Standards Canada, saying the full-page ads violate the ad regulator’s ethical rule: “No advertisement shall be presented in a format or style which conceals its intent.”

In partnership with Shell Canada, one piece is headlined: “Climate change: a reality check,” and is accompanied by a “myth buster” fact box.

Newspapers traditionally label a paid editorial ad as an advertising feature, but this is touted as a “special information feature.” The “features” have appeared in several of Canwest’s major dailies, including the Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal and Ottawa Citizen.

After the Sierra Club sent a concerned email to the Citizen, its publisher, Jim Obran, responded that “unlike news articles, advertisements such as these do not necessarily have to pass the test of fairness and balance.”

“This is basically a propaganda piece by Shell Canada about a really important issue,” says John Bennett, executive director of Sierra Club. “They could have very easily said this was an advertisement.”

Code of ethics from various media sources regarding news and advertisements:

"Advertising and "advertorials" (paid text or paid broadcast content) must not resemble news content. To the maximum extent permitted by local resources, advertorials should be prepared and produced by the business departments, outside the newsroom." — New York Times

"Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two." — Newsroom Magazine

"We will not give favoured treatment to advertisers and special interests. We must resist their efforts to influence the news." — Canadian Association of Journalists

"Distinguish between advocacy and news reporting. Analysis and commentary should be labeled and not misrepresent fact or context." — Society of Professional Journalists