This week, Roll Call, a popular DC-based publication that covers Congress, aggressively promoted an event to its 364,000 Twitter followers. The outlet was giving away donuts on Wednesday from a food truck parked near the U.S. Capitol. These and other tweets promoting the event were interspersed with Roll Call's reporting on the
Aside from the “wrongness” of this bit of extreme lobbying, it is just stunning to see the gobs of cash dumped to pay for the blocking. To spend SO much money to defeat this bill means the involved companies must make a LOT 💰💰💰from the practice. Disgusting. 🥶
I grew up in DC and have worked beats in Congress, Supreme Court, SEC, and others. Roll Call was the sine qua non of journalism back then and the place to go for all Washington politics from a professional perspective. This is so sad to see. It's pathetic and is evidence of why people distrust journalism that's in the hands of massive media companies and private equity pirates who care about the $$$ not quality information. Thank you for this - and all your - reporting.
Judd & Rebecca, thank you for your informative reporting, of the story behind the " story." I am so glad I signed up. We need to know the truth and these days, the truth is too often manipulated & cloaked by lies & liars. Sadly.. this is the new "normal" in too many aspects of our daily news/ lives. Being able to sort out the real from the unreal is critical. And so much done on behalf of unbridled capitalism & the quest for power & market dominance. This 67 year old applauds you!
Thank you for this article. (The donut names, tho.) Think of all the good that lobbying money could go to instead of the pockets and minds of Congress.
The 1% Tech giants, the MSM and Koch. The defeat of democracy for dollars is a multi faceted attack.
A guy named Hedger runs Taxpayers Protection Alliance. Ha! Sometimes names seem to destine people for their jobs. No joke - in the town of ~4000 where I grew up, we had a chiropractor named Dr. Bender and an orthodontist named Dr. Bever, pronounced like the animal that builds dams. But I digress. I’m one of Roll Call’s Twitter followers and saw this promotion. I thought it was unusual but I blew past it assuming they needed to attract attention in a competitive jungle. How disappointing they discredited themselves and thanks for outing it. As for the legislation, there’s no way this is happening before the midterms, and that’s just fine with me. It’s important and I want it to pass, but to the extent that right now it could further amp up corporate giving to the wrong PACs, I’ll take my chances with deferred legislation.
"Google does, sweetheart. The internet exists WITHIN Google, like this snow globe. We all got snowed."
After lobbying for, and winning, net neutrality almost a decade ago, Google has now pirouetted 180° to claim "that the legislation would 'make it more difficult for companies to offer free services'". All of a sudden Google is concerned about its free services, eh?!
Make no mistake, humans are Google's commodity, not its products and "free" services. Every time we search and see any ad, we've paid.
So Google WANTS net neutrality (which literally killed many small online businesses so Google, etc. could make bigger profits from Goliath stores) until it comes to them, then all of a sudden they're concerned for us and our access to free services? GMAFB
False flag if I ever heard one 🚩
These tech (and energy!) giants need to be cut down to size if for no other reason than a healthy & sustainble economy and society.
I use Amazon for 90% of my purchases. I shop exclusively for items fulfilled by Amazon. Small sellers can not provide the service Amazon provides and my decision to buy Amazon products has nothing to do with how they are highlighted or listed on the platform.
---- He said it is "not necessary" to label most ads because it is "self-evident."
... Is this a joke? If notable fashion blogs of the 2010's were notified that they couldn't continue to take free luxury brand items and post about them without noting they were paid placements because users couldn't tell, why would a publication like Roll Call be exempt? Ugh.
another example of the Evil Corporate Lobbyists who are corrupting Congress and the rest of the govt to get their way, and screw over consumers. All lobbying should be banned. Lobbyists should be illegal and thrown in prison
Aside from the “wrongness” of this bit of extreme lobbying, it is just stunning to see the gobs of cash dumped to pay for the blocking. To spend SO much money to defeat this bill means the involved companies must make a LOT 💰💰💰from the practice. Disgusting. 🥶
I grew up in DC and have worked beats in Congress, Supreme Court, SEC, and others. Roll Call was the sine qua non of journalism back then and the place to go for all Washington politics from a professional perspective. This is so sad to see. It's pathetic and is evidence of why people distrust journalism that's in the hands of massive media companies and private equity pirates who care about the $$$ not quality information. Thank you for this - and all your - reporting.
If all of these corporations are against this bill, it must be for the greater good. I hope it passes. These corporations are so transparent.
Judd & Rebecca, thank you for your informative reporting, of the story behind the " story." I am so glad I signed up. We need to know the truth and these days, the truth is too often manipulated & cloaked by lies & liars. Sadly.. this is the new "normal" in too many aspects of our daily news/ lives. Being able to sort out the real from the unreal is critical. And so much done on behalf of unbridled capitalism & the quest for power & market dominance. This 67 year old applauds you!
We have to remember that nothing is free. We pay for it, whether it is absorbing propaganda, or having our pockets picked.
Thank you for this article. (The donut names, tho.) Think of all the good that lobbying money could go to instead of the pockets and minds of Congress.
The 1% Tech giants, the MSM and Koch. The defeat of democracy for dollars is a multi faceted attack.
A guy named Hedger runs Taxpayers Protection Alliance. Ha! Sometimes names seem to destine people for their jobs. No joke - in the town of ~4000 where I grew up, we had a chiropractor named Dr. Bender and an orthodontist named Dr. Bever, pronounced like the animal that builds dams. But I digress. I’m one of Roll Call’s Twitter followers and saw this promotion. I thought it was unusual but I blew past it assuming they needed to attract attention in a competitive jungle. How disappointing they discredited themselves and thanks for outing it. As for the legislation, there’s no way this is happening before the midterms, and that’s just fine with me. It’s important and I want it to pass, but to the extent that right now it could further amp up corporate giving to the wrong PACs, I’ll take my chances with deferred legislation.
"Mommy, who owns the Internet?"
"Google does, sweetheart. The internet exists WITHIN Google, like this snow globe. We all got snowed."
After lobbying for, and winning, net neutrality almost a decade ago, Google has now pirouetted 180° to claim "that the legislation would 'make it more difficult for companies to offer free services'". All of a sudden Google is concerned about its free services, eh?!
Make no mistake, humans are Google's commodity, not its products and "free" services. Every time we search and see any ad, we've paid.
So Google WANTS net neutrality (which literally killed many small online businesses so Google, etc. could make bigger profits from Goliath stores) until it comes to them, then all of a sudden they're concerned for us and our access to free services? GMAFB
False flag if I ever heard one 🚩
These tech (and energy!) giants need to be cut down to size if for no other reason than a healthy & sustainble economy and society.
Great work, PI!! 👏
Thanks for the excellent write up. So many sneaky organizations out there, it is impossible to keep track of them all.
Thanks for this information. I’m stewing over how to share it effectively. Wow. Just wow.
I use Amazon for 90% of my purchases. I shop exclusively for items fulfilled by Amazon. Small sellers can not provide the service Amazon provides and my decision to buy Amazon products has nothing to do with how they are highlighted or listed on the platform.
---- He said it is "not necessary" to label most ads because it is "self-evident."
... Is this a joke? If notable fashion blogs of the 2010's were notified that they couldn't continue to take free luxury brand items and post about them without noting they were paid placements because users couldn't tell, why would a publication like Roll Call be exempt? Ugh.
Great report, you two—as usual!
Wonder if they scraped attendee's phone data to ID them; follow up with targeted ads.
SSDD...😡
another example of the Evil Corporate Lobbyists who are corrupting Congress and the rest of the govt to get their way, and screw over consumers. All lobbying should be banned. Lobbyists should be illegal and thrown in prison