<i>Advertisements are paid for. This wasn&#x27;t.</i><p>I&#x27;ve not read the article, but it makes sense to remember that &#x27;payment&#x27; can come in various forms, not just cash. Access, favors, special privileges granted, etc.<p>This isn&#x27;t my purview, per se, but I know there is some concern about this sort of thing, particularly in political reporting which has become much less adversarial compared to the not so distant past.<p>You&#x27;re of course unlikely to find many of these concerns voiced very loudly in the &#x27;press.&#x27;