Ghostwriters

While I'm sure what you describe exists I think the bigger problem is a bit more subtle - essentially bloggers and others out there - typically these are people who already have a loyal following - who are influenced by things like gift certificates or other relatively small incentives.

I do not remember all of the details, but I believe that about 6 months back there was a story about women who run mommy blogs being given an Amazon gift certificate to make some number of mentions in their blog about the Toyota Sienna minivan. It was not a big $ amount, something between $10 and $50. I believe that it was traced back to a market research or PR firm that had no direct tie to Toyota.

These sorts of things are pretty prevalent out there - maybe not a gift certificate but other benefits aimed more at the traditional press. Press/publicity trips do serve a purpose where you learn about the subject, but you also also do get wined and dined and they make it a fair bit of fun (I have been the plus 1 on about a dozen trips over the years so I say it from experience). With the addition of blogs, podcasts and group web sites companies have been quick to add non-traditional journalists. Take Prius Chat for example, the total membership is small compared to other traditional media outlets - TV, magazines, newspapers, etc - but the following is focused and devoted - I would imagine that is why Russell and Danny got invited to the Prius V press event. Russell and Danny were very clear about the fact that they went and I doubt that their opinions were influenced by the fact, but Toyota sure did get a whole lot of coverage from it. Just to be clear, Russell and Danny went about it the right way - full disclosure.

It is this sort of advertising message that is more insidious as it is hard to tell where an opinion has been influenced. Given the state of the advertising biz I think that we are going to be seeing quite a bit more of this in the future.

 

For every post I make in the Environmental forum here, I get five bucks from the powerful Climate Change lobby.

 

i knew it!

 

For every post I make, I lose X minutes of potentially valuable thinking time. It may be simple procrastination.

It may be sophisticated mind control by the climate denial machine and their local operatives. I favor this explanation because it does not make me look so slothful.

But seriously, due in part to the slings and arrows at PriusChat, I have tried to pay more attention to a wide range of climate-related publications. Doesn't seem to help me 'do soil carbon', but it has broadened my perspective. So thanks to all the operatives...

 

And all post readers gain at least X+ minutes of education.

 

It's gotten to the point where on a board I'm an admin on, I ban any new member from any ex-Soviet Bloc country before they even get a chance to spam.

 

I heard on the radio recently that the "mommy bloggers" were being heavily courted by McDonalds, and had come out and said how "wonderful!" the McD oatmeal is... but, if you actually check the ingredients and nutritional information, it is basically a bowl of candy (sugar, sugar, a few oats and raisins, more sugar, and a bunch of stuff that can't be pronounced).

It is my opinion that anyone that takes samples, gifts, lunch, or money from anyone has lost their cred, and they should have to have a banner on their site that lists who is paying them.