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Gawker Media boss Nick Denton, as quoted on Yahoo news:

"I love paying for information because it's a great investment," Denton said, confirming that Gawker's sports blog, Deadspin, paid $12,000 for its scoop that revealed naked photos former Jets star Bret Favre allegedly sent to a "buxom" (Denton's word) female sideline reporter story. "The other thing I love about it is it gets the traditional media contorted," he said. "They're envious, but they're disapproving, and it's a beautiful thing to watch."

You get what you pay for

For years, I've been asking politely to see evidence that Internet advertising works. I've watched it race away from mainstream media to whatever new digital platform seems hottest at any moment. But I've always wondered if it works.

In part, that comes from my own experience with finding a new travel location. The beach that I've used in recent years has lost its appeal since the latest hurricane attack, so I'm searching for another. Used to be, travel sections were filled with great advertising making me think of this alternative or that. Today's travel sections are filled with . . . nothing. Where has the travel advertising money gone, I ask. Why to the Internet where it is targeted, I'm told.

Well I spend much of my life on the Internet, and I am actively seeking travel ideas, and newspaper and magazine advertising guided me repeatedly in the past. Not so today.

Finally some data seeps through: Americans ignore Internet advertising in record numbers. They ignore other forms as well, but not nearly as much as they ignore Internet advertising. What Internet advertising seems to have going for it is that it's cheap. So is television at 3 a.m. You get what you pay for.

FTC suggests "do not track" mechanism for Web

In a move that potentially has a lot of impact, the FTC is proposing a "do not track" mechanism for the Internet. It's yet another sign that consumer privacy concerns might be adding up to restrictions on the Internet. Leaving aside the practicality of such a proposal, it potentially could strongly affect advertising.

Print is dead -- Not!

More evidence that print isn't dead. Another survey finds huge readership of print magazines. Each month, 188 million Americans read print magazines, the survey says, with each averaging 6.1 titles.

Another clash between mainstream and non-mainstream media

I suppose it's part of the big news picture but this entertainment story is more important for what it says about how mainstream media continues to miss the boat on how to use non-mainstream sources.

In short, Jay Leno's show ripped off an Internet video after promising credit (not the first time, by the way). It got called on it, and basically did the right thing in giving credit for the video (a funny montage of Taylor Swift winning awards) the next day. But why did it have to wait a day? We're in a more collaborative era now, and giving credit is easy, adds to a medium's credibility, and is ethical. So do it from the start.

Is the obit dead?

Upon the death of a daughter's friend who had been instrumental in building G.M.'s electric car, columnist James M. Naughton tried in vain to interest a couple of influential newspapers in commemorating the passing of this interesting man.

Their lack of interest caused him to wonder if newspapers' dire straits has caused them to eschew the feature obit -- even for worthy candidates -- in favor of the paid obituary, and he rightly bemoans the loss. Naughton's correct. Once again, the newspaper industry misjudges its audience, costing it yet another area that could be used to attract subscribers.