The measures from such places as the New York Times, Huffington Post and the Austin American-Statesman are seen as ways to attract small businesses with lower-cost opportunities to reach audiences.
The American-Statesman identifies its guidelines for the initiative: It Tweets twice a day, approves the content and requires that it be directive (offers, not generic brand-boasting).
The moves will surprise some people who view it as a blurring between sales and editorial functions, but the organizations involved say there is valuable learning taking place.