When news shows sell their souls

We've all seen them, no matter what part of the country we live in. Even the national shows, such as The Today Show and Good Morning, America are offenders in this particular category. The crime: Disguising entertainment/reality programming promotions as news stories. PR Watch points us to an editorial in the Rocky Mountain News by Jason Salzman who outlines the ways the Denver news outlets have snuck in plugs for shows on that network. Living in the Chicago area I was first-hand witness to this when Bill Rancic won the first season of The Apprentice. The local NBC affiliate went absolutely ape covering the show from every conceivable angle.