CNBC and LinkedIn are combining their business audiences through an alliance between the financial news channel and the professional social network, report the Financial Times. The alliance highlights the growing advertising clout of specialist online communities.
The broadcaster will screen "community generated content", such as surveys of LinkedIn's 27m members, make its footage available on LinkedIn and adopt LinkedIn's networking tools for CNBC.com users to discuss its coverage with their contacts.
However, the report said concerns about targeted advertising could grow, particularly among business users, cautioned Anthea Stratigos, chief executive of Outsell, an information industry analyst.
"We're dealing with privacy at a level where it affects the enterprise," she said, adding that it was the "potential Achilles heel" for professional networks.