(Credit: the Guardian)

Dan Gillmor criticized the media’s willingness to publish op-eds that are ghost-written or essentially “public relations tactics” in a column for the Guardian.

According to Gillmor, “newspapers often don’t check to see if their op-ed contributors are shading the truth or lying outright.”  He wondered why news outlets permit people to submit the ghost-written articles when we wouldn’t let a student turn in another person’s work.  Further, Gillmor rejected the possible explanation that “famous people” have speechwriters because “a false byline is an outright, direct lie.”

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