Sam Crane received an e-mail from CNN asking him to review a story they wrote on an artist in Beijing. Crane writes:
They obviously want me to post about it as part of a blog-based marketing strategy… And how does The Useless Tree figure in all this? In a small and insignificant way, obviously. But that only goes to show the reach of globalization. Someone in London, looking to circulate a “lost Beijing” nostalgia meme, finds me, someone who circulates ideas on how the ancient is relevant to the modern (am I only about nostalgia here?), and we link on the web. The giant and the minuscule connect. Does this somehow sully my project here? Not really. Even if money had changed hands (and it didn’t), as long as I describe for you, dear reader, the context of the interchange, you yourself can judge whether my momentary dance with a media giant somehow contradicts my purpose.
The New York Times reports that large companies are putting on spectacles in Times Square, so that individuals can capture their images on their cell phones and then post pictures of it on their blogs.
The CEO of Annie’s was amused by two postmodern, name brand dropping posts of mine. And sent me boxes of Mac and Cheese and Graham Crackers. (Thanks, John!) 
In the past, publishers have also asked me to review books on my blog, and activists have asked me to publicize causes and events. I’ve shied away from book reviews, mostly because it requires too much work on my end. I won’t publicize causes or organizations, because I don’t have the means to properly check out the credibility of those groups. I do like mac n’ cheese though, so I’m all up for product placement of food products.
I’m curious what other bloggers think about these developments. Do you mind being used by newsgroups, political organizations, or corporations as free publicity? Are these developments very democratic in their own weird way? Is all this just another way to measure the power of blogs?
Apt. 11d 
I think it’s up to the blog owner whether or not to do paid, but full disclosure is key so readers can make up their own minds. If you were paid specifically to make a positive comment, then it’s essentially an advertisement. Label it as such.
I’ve never approached on my own blog, but I think I’d generally be averse to doing it unless I had complete freedom to slap a big “Paid Advertisement” label on it.
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So where do I sign up to pimp Annie’s mac n cheese and bunny crackers? Given that Lyra’s diet lately consists of 90% Annie’s Deluxe Shells, I could really use some free stuff. š
The only stuff I’ve ever been offered has been super duper lame, like plug-in air freshener. If I’m going to pimp, it’s gotta be for something worthwhile.
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