新聞學中強調，記者在選擇及處理新聞時，以「公共利益」為核心價值；自2002年起，台灣政府將「置入性行銷」引進新聞後引發爭議，吊詭的論述似乎主張：為了公共利益，新聞可以接受置入性行銷。本文從置入性行銷與公共利益的衝突出發，探索公共利益的概念。面對利益競爭的複雜環境，本文亦提出媒體和公眾如何參與對公共利益想像的參考架構，以期能打破傳統「追求最大多數人利益」的唯一思維框架，重新看待公共利益的流動特性。同時主張(1)公共利益應具有公開、理性溝通、多元等公共性特質，任何企圖「置入」特殊目的之「利益」，都有違此特性；(2)媒體報導呈現的公共利益，必須本於新聞專業價值：獨立、自主、負責等，「置入」的新聞已使新聞專業受操弄，一個不能獨立採訪、自主報導的新聞，如何展現公共利益？新聞接受置入性行銷，媒體雖賺得了金錢，付上的卻是「公信力喪失」的代價。

When Taiwanese government introduced "product placement", to promote their policies in news reporting since 2002, it became a highly debatable issue. This article explores the concept of the "public interest" by first referring to the conflict of public interest and product placement. Amid the complex environment of conflicting interests, this article attempts to propose a framework for the public and the media to participate in creating the public interest. Meanwhile, this article stresses two points: (1) "Public interest" should be based on public, rational and plural communication, any attempt to "place" private interest in news will violate the value of public interest. (2) News reporting for "public interest" should be based on professional values: independency, autonomy and responsibility. The placed news functions to manipulate journalist profession. Without being able to do independent and autonomous news reports, how can we expect the news to fulfill public interests? Any media organizations that accept "product placement" would gain profit but lose credibility in return.