Romenesko

Columbia Journalism Review
These partnerships take different forms in different cities, but the deals all too frequently slide across the ad-edit wall, says Trudy Lieberman. They may involve traditional commercials, but they often include a promise of some kind of "news" stories, too, involving reporters or news anchors. "Citizens groups have challenged the licenses of stations in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Oregon for offering scant local election coverage," notes Lieberman. "Perhaps fake health news should be their next target."