At RVtravel.com, we get an email like this several times a week. Here’s the latest, received Thursday, June 21:
Hello,
My name is Jona (last name withheld) and I work with a PR firm based in NYC. I have a client who is interested in getting some basic exposure on your website via a guest blog post, or even just a quick mention of them within one of your articles. This is a reputable, well-known company that I’m confident you’ll be comfortable mentioning on your website.
I’m authorized to offer up to $50 for the post and can pay by Paypal. Please let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to hearing from you!
Best,
Jona
We declined. Sometimes the bribe is $150 or more. It would take one of our staff members five to ten minutes to do the work required, easy money.
Other online publishers — many in fact — accept this “paid content” and more often than not don’t tell their readers it’s advertising, not legitimate news. A real newspaper would not do this because it’s shady. But online, many do including news websites. The result? Their readers don’t know if what they’re reading is legitimate or fake. Anyone who publishes a website with a large audience could earn a good living posting this sort of biased information.
Because so many RV Travel readers help support us with their voluntary subscriptions, we are not tempted by this dirty money and can keep our content as honest as possible.
Trying to find a way to contact someone at RV Travel. I wanted to pass on some just happened news. Check out https://www.ocala.com/news/20180622/2-killed-in-crash-on-us-441-in-north-marion. It involved a class A that ran over a Cadillac stopped for traffic. There most likely is a lesson to learn here.
Chuck, the work you do is important and much appreciated. I just threw another few bucks a month your way to express my support and appreciation
Thank you, Jim. Much appreciated.
Chuck~ I had planned to give a much more generous donation this year then I am able to. I just found out a week ago that my job has been “eliminated” and I have a few more years before I can retire and now who knows. Things are uncertain at this time for me and stressful. I am hoping I will not be forced to sell my little camper “Jack”. My dog and I have loved our traveling adventures together. I have truly enjoyed and learned from your wonderful newsletter. Esp stuff from Mike on electrical stuff. I will not be able to travel the rest of this year and possibly not next year either but I do want to be able to continue to read your thoughts and ideas. Reading the newsletter every Saturday morning with my coffee has become a ritual Please except my apologizes that I can’t give more this year. Even thou I am not traveling it gives me comfort to still be able to read rvtravel. Thank you to you and your staff for all you do acting as an advocate in my opinion for us RVers. We need more folks like you out there you and your staff are gems.
Discovered that the reason I couldn’t donate online was because of my location – I was in Mexico. For some reason your system doesn’t like that country. Back up in California and now able to make a donation.