News sites deemed "credible" to visitors are the best platforms for "sponsored content" or "native advertising," according to a survey of 5,000 respondents conducted by Edelman Berland and Interactive Advertising Bureau.

Pollsters found that positive views of a site's credibility significantly impact feelings about an ad, resulting in a 33 percent boost in believability of its content.

More than eight in 10 readers of business and entertainment news sites easily picked out in-feed sponsored content. Only 4% percent of members of general news outlets were able to do so.

The survey found than almost nine-in-ten (86 percent) of respondents accept advertising as a trade-off for free content.

They rated brand familiarity, trust and subject matter expertise as key in driving reader interest in reading sponsored content.

Sixty percent of readers say they are more open to content with a good story line, rather than product pitches.

Sherrill Man, IAB's senior VP-research, analytics and measurement, said in a statement the survey "shows in-feed sponsored content can be a win for brands and publishers both, when consumers' viewpoints are taken into account."