Hell, if I knew it was going to be there, the Washington Post, and 3 TV stations (that I’ve heard of so far) I probably would have thought of a more conventional name!

One of the comments is from someone who details the relationships between the PR firm, the Republican party and key members of the Walton family.

By the way Walmart Facts is an astroturf site set up by Walmart, so it is not surprising that the press releases show up there.

I don’t think that getting a story from a public relations person is a bad thing; in many instances, it’s the only way the press can learn what’s going on. And the PR people I’ve worked with, generally speaking, have been good at disseminating information. Keep in mind, though, that a typical newspaper office gets dozens of press releases a day, from the serious to announcements about a revolutionary new toothbrush. Most reporters work daily beats, and they can come up with stories on their own. When I’ve written something from a press release, my editors and I have generally tried to go beyond it, either by looking for additional information or putting the information in the context of what we know. That’s the best approach — it usually turns an announcement into a good story.

While some flackage is no doubt fairly innocent, some kinds are a bit more sinister.

For instance, in 2002 the Denver Post collaborated with the government of Mexico on a story supporting illegal immigration. They went on to attack Rep. Tom Tancredo after he complained about the story.

And, if you think either the Chicago Tribune or the N.Y. Daily News have any credibility, look at this. Two stories about different sympathetic illegal aliens printed 6 weeks apart, but virtually identical in structure and what they propose. And, there are several more very similar puff pieces in that post’s category. I’d really love to know which organization (or country) is providing those puff pieces in case any brave reporters want to come forward.

And there’s certainly no shortage of the former.

This is not news. For years I have been told by local and national news media that if I wrote an article about my company (or hopefully an issue) it would likely get published. Many publications are ONLY a collection of press releases. The content side of publishing is expensive. The revenue comes from ads. Journalistic integrity aside (which is where it often is) the solution to this equation is not rocket science.

I wonder how often we read something thinking it’s what that person wrote when they did just copy and paste someone else’s words.

I didn’t feel badly at the time: that company, I reasoned, the NY Times didn’t really matter all that much, and so what if they were mad. But, reading how The Times really feels about PR stuff, I’m feeling even better…

Second, this is the most “Earth Still Orbiting Sun” non-news story in the world.

Speaking as someone who has worked for and with the media for more than 20 years, I can state categorically that reporters regularly and routinely swallow pitches whole from flacks — even at the New York Times.

The dirty little secret is that many reporters don’t mind getting rolled if they agree with the viewpoint of the pitch or if the story is juicy enough, and will happily print verbatim what’s handed to them. No work or critical thought required.

Take a look at the publicity antics of groups like PETA and the resulting press coverage and that becomes plain.

For the Times to accuse bloggers of doing something that conventional media do routinely is hypocritical.

The real agenda here, I suspect, is to undermine the credibility of bloggers, who are siphoning off readership from conventional media (like the Times) at a phenomenal rate. Pretty hamhanded, IMO.