Q: I occasionally read that a major TV news network has paid people involved in a dramatic news story large fees for exclusive interviews, amateur videos and participation in subsequent TV specials. I’ve also heard that some sports teams grant media companies that pay seven-digit "partnership" fees special access (to press conferences, coaches and players), and restrict the access of those that don’t. What do you think about the ethics of these arrangements?
A: Not much. This kind of "checkbook journalism"—long common in Great Britain and among sensational tabloid papers in the U.S.—is on the rise among mainstream broadcast networks and Internet media sites. It is a disturbing trend.
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