In what is fast becoming a booming promotional venture, television network and film studio publicity departments are focusing on (href="http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB117919274561702788.html?mod=blogs") a web-oriented strategy of gifting bloggers to write positive news and reviews of their shows and films.
How publicity departments locate blogs that would be easily pliable, at first seems to be a difficult task in itself, but sources say it's easier than one might think.
"Bloggers and sites that might be willing to massage their views into something that spark their readers to check out our shows are getting easier and easier to find," said advertising executive, Bert Sales. "The bloggers haven't been subtle about their availability."
Sites like WillWriteBlogForFood.com, Soul4Sale.com, Needfreemedical.com, and WouldlovetomeetPamAnderson.com have set up themselves as blatantly purchasable.
"Internet traffic can hit millions of easily-persuaded visitors in one day," said Sales. "And while gifts more than $25 are banned to the mainstream news outlets, bloggers don't have limits. Money, gifts or what some PR firms deem ‘high-cost massages' are now in play."
And it looks like political campaigns have already jumped on the blogger-buys bandwagon.
"What works for selling programming and films that are pure illusion and inferior products, makes perfect sense for political campaigns," said political consultant, Frank Lunch. "And as is the norm, bloggers are ahead of the curve setting up sites purely for easy search engine access."
Domain names like WillVoteTwice.com, McCainIsntThatOld.net, HillaryIsHot.com and Most$GetsOurVote.com have already been reserved by bloggers that some long time political experts say may have been set up for purely political reasons.
Steve Young blogs at Whore4U.com, a completely nonpartisan site now accepting trips and gifts from your studio, campaign or sales division.