I know of at least one great journalist who works as a freelancer and despite how good her work is, it is still hard for her to get a fair paycheck every month. She works here and there, but her blog is her passion. She has been offered many times to get paid for allowing sponsors to announce on her blog, to link them on her texts, or simply to mention their brand name. But she has never accepted to sell out her “baby” as she calls it.
This is a good story to review the ethics of journalism, the interests of those who only care about selling and how social media can call for bigger audiences when it shows not only a mere description of facts, but as we have discussed many times, an opinion.
I found particularly interesting how the companies involved in this story immediately reached Nolan to either deny their participation in this kind of practice, or specify how they have never worked with such agency to reach their target customers.
"But this incident brings up a whole slew of issues when it comes to the business of digital media. Editors/producers of traditional news outlets have long felt the pressure of advertisers breathing down their collective necks. They've had to be sure as to never anger them or else risk losing a chunk of their only source of revenue. But advertising isn't so simple on the internet. It comes in all shapes, sizes, or even links." Sameer Bhuchar
Give it a read and share your thoughts.
http://www.thejournalismbiz.com/2011/10/paid-per-link-blogger-corruption.html
Wow, I just read the exchange between 43a and Gawker and I am stunned that 43a would be so bold about documenting their, yes, extremely corrupt requests. Definitely a sign that there are bloggers out there who have accepted. This makes me wonder what other kinds of "behind closed doors" agreements occur in the blogosphere, and maybe, face-to-face (instead of by email) between mainstream news networks and those "breathing down their necks."
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