The New York Times will broadcast a commercial called 'The Truth Is Hard' during Sunday's Academy Awards, just two days after the company and other news organizations were blocked from joining an informal, on-the-record White House press briefing.

The 30-second ad includes audio from voices in the vein of news clips, talking about certain 'truths,' from 'the truth is our nation is more divided than ever' to 'the truth is the media is dishonest'.

It is the first television advertising from the Times since 2010 and its first brand-focused television ad in a decade.

The ad closes with: 'The truth is hard. The truth is hard to find. The truth is hard to know. The truth is more important now than ever.'

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A 30-second ad from The New York Times includes audio from voices in the vein of news clips, talking about certain 'truths'

The 'truths' in the video include 'the truth is our nation is more divided than ever' and 'the truth is the media is dishonest' (pictured)

The clip, also posted on the Times' official YouTube page, has more than 1.6million views since it premiered Thursday

The clip, also posted on the Times' official YouTube page, has more than 1.6million views since it premiered Thursday.

Its airdate on ABC during the Oscars comes two days after the Times, the Los Angeles Times, CNN and other news organizations were blocked from a White House briefing after press secretary Sean Spicer restricted the number of journalists who could attend.

The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the move by the White House, and it marked another sign of struggle between news media and President Donald Trump.

On Friday, Trump said reporters shouldn't be allowed to use anonymous sources.

It is the first television advertising from the Times since 2010 and its first brand-focused television ad in a decade

One of the 'truths' in the ad is the claim that 'leaking classified information is the real scandal'

The ad closes with: 'The truth is hard. The truth is hard to find. The truth is hard to know. The truth is more important now than ever'

He has chafed at a number of anonymously sourced stories, including numerous reports describing contacts between his campaign advisers and Russian intelligence agents, which the White House has sharply disputed.

Spicer said earlier this week that he didn't think Trump would watch the Oscars on Sunday.

On Friday, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced that Meryl Streep will be a presenter during the live show.

Streep criticized the president during her speech at last month's Golden Globes, especially Trump's apparent mocking of a disabled Times reporter.

Since Trump's November 8 election victory, the Times has seen an uptick in digital subscribers and revenue even as its business on the print side declines. Trump is pictured on Friday

The 166-year old newspaper is looking to highlight independent journalism amid Trump's attacks on the media as 'fake news'.

The Oscars are among the pricier ad buys on television, with 30-second commercials going for between $1.9 and $2million, according to ad-tracking firm Kantar Media.

While ABC, owned by Walt Disney Co, does not comment on how much it receives from advertisers, a source with knowledge of negotiations said the Times' ad buy was in that range.

The Oscars is traditionally the most-watched non-sports event broadcast in the United States.

Since Trump's November 8 election victory, the Times has seen an uptick in digital subscribers and revenue even as its business on the print side declines.

During the Times' most recent quarter, the paper added 276,000 digital subscribers and grew digital ad revenue by nearly 11 per cent, accounting for more than 40 percent of its overall ad revenues.

Trump has repeatedly bashed the press. In a tweet last week citing The New York Times, NBC, ABC, CBS and CNN, he said the media was 'the enemy of the American People!'

Trump tweeted this message saying the newspaper 'has become a joke' on Friday

The New York Times, the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal and Gannett Co are building on the online readership they gained during the 2016 presidential election by marketing unbiased reporting as a sales strategy.

Trump has repeatedly bashed the press. In a tweet last week citing The New York Times, NBC, ABC, CBS and CNN, he said the media was 'the enemy of the American People!'

Last year's Oscars broadcast attracted 34.4million viewers, making it the third-lowest-rated Oscars since 1974.

Still, only National Football League games and Fox's airing of the final game of last fall's World Series drew more viewers in 2016.

The New York Times commercial is part of a broader brand campaign, the paper's first in a decade, that aims to position the newspaper as a reliable outlet in the face of the rise of the 'fake news' epidemic.

The New York Times, the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal and Gannett Co are building on the online readership they gained during the 2016 presidential election by marketing unbiased reporting as a sales strategy (file)

The ad's airdate during the Oscars comes two days after the Times and other news organizations were blocked from a White House briefing after press secretary Sean Spicer (seen Thursday) restricted the number of journalists who could attend

New York Times branding exec David Rubin told CNN: 'The idea is to be a part of that discussion about what does it mean to find the truth.

'What does that mean in a world of "fake news"? And what is the role of journalism and journalists in that process and what is the role of reader in supporting that journalism?'

He told the news outlet: 'We think it's a great metaphor for how hard it is on a regular basis to understand the truth.

'That leads into the role that we think journalism can play in helping you cut through that clutter and make your own sense of what's going on in the world.'

The 89th Academy Awards will air at 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC.