On Bloggers and Money - Some Seek Disclosure Rules for Web Sites Paid by Candidates

Washington Post ^ | May 3, 2005 | Brian Faler

[Cincinatus' Wife]

You could almost hear the blogosphere sigh with relief earlier this spring when federal election officials indicated that they did not plan to crack down on bloggers who write about politics.

The Federal Election Commission, which has been considering issuing new regulations on a range of political activities on the Internet -- and was said by some to be contemplating taking a tough stance on the online commentators -- revealed in late March that it intends to be much less aggressive than many had feared. But now some observers are wondering whether the FEC is not being aggressive enough when it comes to one category of bloggers: those who take money from political campaigns.

The FEC requires candidates to disclose their expenditures, including any payments to bloggers, in periodic reports to the government. Some bloggers also disclose their financial relationships with candidates, but they are not obliged to reveal those payments, and the agency recently said it is not proposing requiring them to do so.

Some election law experts want the FEC to reverse that policy, saying it gives campaigns the opportunity to use ostensibly independent blogs as fronts to create the illusion of grass-roots support, mount attacks on their opponents and disseminate information to which candidates do not want their names attached.

...."But even if it comes out, there's something to be said for having the information right there, so when you click on the Web site you see it says 'Authorized by Smith for Congress,' " he added. "Voters rely on those pieces of information as cues in terms of how much stock they should put in what someone is saying."

Others pushing for the disclaimers note the FEC said it is leaning toward requiring them on certain types of political advertising on the Internet.

[SkyPilot]

You could almost hear the blogosphere sigh with relief earlier this spring when federal election officials indicated that they did not plan to crack down on bloggers who write about politics.

Thanks Washington Post for more unbiased lead ins to your "news." Actually, I could almost hear the the MSM slam their frustrated fists down on their copy of "Living History" when they heard the feds would not crack down on bloggers (before they kissed the book apologetically.)

[libertylover]

I don't know, there may be some merit to it. It seems to me that a campaign's payment to a blogger site is a lot like buying an ad in the Washington Post.