BLOG-OLA?
The Hill reports that
[Democratic contender Howard] Dean has done other things to maximize his online fundraising punch, like reinvesting money into expanding donor lists and paying “bloggers” or professional Internet surfers to keep the enthusiasm up on his website.
Says James Taranto,
We’re all for free enterprise, but this does point up an advantage of “old media” over bloggers. Professional journalists may have their biases, but those of us who work for big-media outfits are bound by codes of ethics under which taking money in exchange for favorable coverage would be a huge no-no. Many bloggers, of course, genuinely are independent commentators, but there’s no easy way of knowing which ones are on the take.
Hmm. So far, no offers for favorable commentary in exchange for loot have come my way.
I read this too, and couldn’t help but wonder: are these so-called “codes of ethics” posted somewhere for everyone to see, or are they simply traditional journalistic practices that have been informally codified through long use and custom?
No one’s offering me any loot, either.
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