Marc Canter seems to be suggesting a new business scheme (or model, if you'd like) based around pay-for-press:

Marc Canter

[from Marc's Voice: Transparency and sponsorship in the blogosphere]

One thing we DON'T want to do is hide the fact or pretend like it's anything other than income for bloggers. The particular product we're going to 'flog' is not something a blogger would use for blogging or even use at all. But it's coolio and has something to offer the world that's unqiue. And that's worth talking about.

The fact that we found them and give them money - just means that THIS particular meme gets spread (as opposed to any other one) and I believe that's called marketing.

There's lots of money available for marketing, some of it going to advertising. But wouldn't it be coolio if some of it went directly into blogger's pockets? I like the feel of it it my pocket!

We designed this program to tap into the pure state of what (as I see it) a blogger is - somebody who, off on their own, has something to say.

If through paying this blogger to blog about a particular product, the company can have it's agenda achieved - then why not?

Of course, if you really love blue Jello, there is nothing wrong with saying so; and there is nothing wrong with the makers of Jello buying an ad on your site since you write a lot about food. But there is something wrong with writing about Jello (at least in an completely false way) if in fact you hate it, but the marketers want the readers of your blog to get a different message.

There is a thin line between propaganda and marketing-facing editorializing, and we shouldn't cross it or we will lose authenticity and trust.