ABSTRACT

As a subsection of lifestyle journalism, travel journalism’s practices shift constantly as the tourism industry evolves. The Internet has introduced new possibilities for the travellers, including online booking systems and house-sharing sites. Airbnb, one of the most notable innovations, has upended the way travellers seek lodging and experiences. Partnering with Hearst, Airbnb now publishes Airbnbmag, a print magazine that, by all accounts, resembles a traditional travel magazine. A closer look at the magazine allows us to ask, however, if Airbnbmag is simply one large branded advertorial for Airbnb or if there is something more valuable going on in its page. One way to look at its content is by analysing the sources in the articles, to begin to understand if the voices are simply echoing Airbnb’s economic interests or if journalists writing for it are telling stories more independently of the brand. An analysis of the first three issues reveals that the more journalistic work in Airbnbmag does, in fact, source from outside the Airbnb community, but much of the magazine still features voices from within. This opens up a discussion about how the sharing economy can provide source material for lifestyle journalists in a digital landscape.