USDA paid freelance writer $7,500 for placing articles

[BR_Parkway]

http://rawstory.com/aexternal/usda_paid_reporter_511
PAYOLA WATCH
USDA paid freelance writer $7,500 for placing articles

RAW STORY

An Agriculture Department agency paid a freelance writer at least $7,500 to write articles touting federal conservation programs and place them in outdoors magazines, according to agency records and interviews, the Washington Post is set to report Wednesday, RAW STORY has learned.

Excerpts:

The Natural Resources Conservation Service hired freelancer Dave Smith in September 2003 to "research and write articles for hunting and fishing magazines describing the benefits of NRCS Farm Bill programs to wildlife habitat and the environment," according to agency procurement documents obtained by The Washington Post through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Smith, contracted to craft five stories for $1,875 each, also was to "contact and work magazine editors to place the articles in targeted publications," the records show.


Full story slated in Wednesday's Washington Post.

The story, which went up briefly on the website's RSS feed and was removed, was still anticipated in Wednesday editions late Tuesday.

[leftchick]

1. Can you say this administration is THE most

CORRUPT in the history of our nation? I know I can...

[Clark2008]

2. So this makes, how many, that we know of?

Six or seven?

These "reporters" should be forced to take a Communications Ethics class at their local university, kept from reporting for five years and forced to return the payola to the taxpayers by performing community service or donating it to a local service that helps the poor.