I think in the last thread on paid news too this piece by Sevanti Ninan was mentioned. Don't remember too well, but it is worth another dekko -- 'Paid news for dummies'.
http://www.thehindu.com/mag/2010/03/28/stories/2010032850090300.htm An excerpt: So what are the honchos in charge saying about all this? “We live in hard times,” said Vinod Mehta, adding that paid advertorial in Outlook was called Spotlight, and he played very little role in what went in there. At a meeting on election-related paid news organised by four media bodies including the Editors Guild, the wisdom was that the best you can hope for is disclosure. We will take money for coverage, but we will indicate that it is paid coverage. We have to do it, said Rajdeep Sardesai, the current president of the Editors Guild. “We are listed quarter by quarter. We have to show profits.” “Editors find it difficult to stand up to proprietors who want to charge for election coverage,” said Mrinal Pande, former editor of Hindustan. “You cannot run a media company without money,” said Pankaj Pachauri of NDTV. “But there are editors who stand up to media marketers. I have 150 advertisers. You spread your risk.” Bottom line: the age of innocence is over. Learn to live with it.
