'Ad-Pull' guarantees you spineless articles or their money back!

A chilling trend seems to be emerging in the ad world. As AdAge reports, BP institutes 'Ad-Pull' Policy for Print Publications. This would make the second recent big company (after Morgan Stanley) to go on record to say that they're not going to support publications with ad dollars if they're critical of them. Though it's being overplayed quite a bit, more and more dollars are going to non-trad media outlets for advertising (online mostly). This is what already happens defacto with advertisers holding clout but now they're looking to up the ante.

Needless to say, this will have a chilling effect on what does and does not get reported on. So far, this is just seen as a story for national publications but there's no reason that this idea couldn't to the entertainment biz when they realize too that they can pull some strings with the money they use in magazines and newspapers- today it's an oil company and an investment firm, and tomorrow, who know? And then, either a bad record review or an investigative report into record company practices like price fixing might be killed off because it could mean the loss of crucial (and dimishing) ad dollars. The end result will be jolly, fluffy 'reporting' that pumps up the music business but tell readers essentially nothing (or nothing critical).

As always, the consumer has the last word in the matter. If they're mad at these companies for trying to squeeze out the publications for any ill words, buyers can make their discontent known with their pocket books or joining in on boycotts of these companies.

Of course, it's easy for me to say. I don't take in any ad dollars.