The problem is that the relationship between advertisers and journalism has become so murky. Rules have relaxed, norms have changed. Until recently, the American Society of Magazine Editors was staunchly traditionalist, sternly forbidding journalists to touch ad copy. But in 2015, the guidelines softened. A once shrill condemnation is now a weak suggestion. “Editors should avoid working with and reporting on the same marketer.” We need to understand these changes as dangerous surrenders.
