The resurfacing of attention on media organizations paying for news has reignited a debate within the craft about such practices. But, as Jeremy Peters observes in The New York Times, the phenomenon is hardly new.

Peters reminds us of the countless cases dating back a century and featuring many of the most prominent newsmakers (Nixon, Haldeman, Simpson, Dugard, Anthony, among them), and notes the regular recurring internal questions about its ethics.

As academics observe, the one thing missing in the examination of the issue is public outcry. What is lacking is any real public passion about the practice, the analysis notes.
 

DA25E68FDEC14EAFA7B2A27D26C48058