If true, a set of allegations in a Florida newspaper are truly shocking. It is alleged that some journalists are in the pay of companies they write about favourably; others fail to declare financial links to companies; and yet more cite sources they know, or should know, are not genuinely independent.
Here are two examples quoted by the St Petersburg Times: James K. Glassman, a syndicated columnist, denounced Super Size Me, the movie critical of McDonald's, yet readers were not informed that McDonald's sponsors a website hosted by Glassman. A columnist in the Louisville Courier-Journal, John Semmens, called Wal-Mart "a major force in promoting prosperity", but readers weren't told that his think tank had received more than $300,000 (£160,000) from a foundation run by the heirs of Wal-Mart's founder.
This sort of activity is evidently well known. According to Mark Feldstein, director of a university journalism programme, the connection between certain columnists and corporations "is one of the dirty little secrets in Washington." And there's much more to shock and amaze in this piece. (Via St Petersburg Times)
