Quote:
Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks
The end result is the same if the opinion is paid for and editorials are paid media. The intent is the same. The ethics are very nearly the same although I will grant you that me going out and "buying" a review is lower on the scale since the reader has no way of distinguishing a bought review versus an unbought one. AT least with an editorial I know a guy has been hired to write an opinion. I know he has probably been selected for the job because he agrees with the stance the newspaper has or they'd hire someone else. I know that he is basically being paid to "sway" readers to a cause. In other words, I'm "informed" in that case whereas with a "bought" review, I'm very likely not informed.
But for me as a READER, I don't care about the differences. They are both forms of paid propaganda and I don't read editorials for that reason. They disgust me. I don't read paid reviews either (if I know about it.)
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You are missing or ignoring the fact that in one case, the writer IS TELLING THE TRUTH as he sees it. The writer believes what he is writing, he actually holds the opinion he is espousing.
In the other case, the writer is LYING. He is acting as the mouthpiece for someone else; he is a puppet for sale to the highest bidder.