The Blogging For Walmart Scandal

What a hoot.

New York Times reporter Michael Barbaro is working on a story about the fact that public relations people working for the giant retailer Wal-Mart have been feeding news tips and information to sympathetic bloggers around the country.

Apparently Pejman Yousefzadeh at RedState is one.

I was--and still am--one of the bloggers contacted by Marshall Manson with e-mails concerning stories and commentary regarding Wal-Mart. Much of what transpired between me and Mr. Manson--who always conducted himself in ethical and above-board fashion in his dealings with me

Let's see, I did The NYTimes doesn't like WalMart along with a couple of other commentaries on WalMart.

Guess what? I'm not on whatever mailing list is being alluded to. And I did the post because it jibed with my opinion on the matter. Bloggers regularly get emails from private, government and business sources pointing to this or that article. I've even gotten them from lawyers involved in cases which represent a particular point of view.

So what? Is the Times going to suggest bloggers aren't allowed to engage in free speech when their attention is called to something with which they agree? Does the Times really expect anyone to believe that all of their stories are home grown and don't result from tips, leads, or pointers to topics, ideas and such? They get such PR communications all the time for heaven's sake.

Do they suspect a crime, or are they just jealous that alternative media is enjoying some of the same attention and help that they've always enjoyed? Unless they are going to assert and prove that this or that blogger took money or favors for following up on a lead, this is just another in a long line of non-stories.

A group of bloggers went to Holland not long ago if I remember correctly. Is Holland planning to take over the US? Or are state entities allowed to promote themselves and their image as they wish, but not private industry?

What an absolute crock of a story. They should award it an Oscar and label it Crash ... and burned.

Comments

[danascully]

LOL with the comparisons to the Oscar & Crash!

[Florida Patty]

They need a PR FIRM.

Wal-mart, a blight on America.

Their "made in America" campaign got folks hooked into shopping there because of the LOW PRICES.
(how do they do that?) But what almost no one outside the world of Wal-Mart and its 21,000 suppliers knows is the high cost of those low prices. Wal-Mart has the power to squeeze profit-killing concessions from vendors. To survive in the face of its pricing demands, makers of everything from bras to bicycles to blue jeans have had to lay off employees and close U.S. plants in favor of outsourcing products from overseas. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html

They tred on employees, hire spouses so they owe their soul to the company store. Imagine:
25% of Wal-Mart employees in Tennessee make wages so low -- and are unable to secure other health insurance -- that they depend on TennCare for coverage. Wal-Mart is the state's largest private employer.
http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/archive/2005_06_01_index.asp

Doesn't matter if it takes years, they stall until they wear down opponents.
http://pasco.tbo.com/pasco/MGB046D6OVD.html
(that one is right in my backdoor)

(AND)
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/102/open_snapper.html

I refuse to shop there.

[walmart]

i think its not a truth....

[mani]

it is only a scandal
http://dealzfirst.com