Today’s online Coeur d’Alene Press is running this article bylined Mike Patrick and titled Playing politics in a strange new world.

The article discusses how an unnamed “…organization purchased hyperlinks to the names of candidates that organization does not support.”  The result was that online readers following the link were taken to a website that supported candidates by the organization unnamed in the article.

Why didn’t the Press, why didn’t Mike Patrick name the organization who purchased the misdirecting hyperlink ads?  From following the links remaining in the online article, some people might conclude that the ads were purchased by the same group who purchased the remaining linked ads.  That may or may not be accurate, but the Coeur d’Alene Press and Mike Patrick surely know who did purchase the deceptive links.  Regardless of who that is, fairness to all the candidates requires that the Press identify the misdirection ads’ buyers.  As for the intra-skewspaper discussion reported, shouldn’t that have taken place before the hyperlink ad was accepted?

ADDENDUM:  Some time later this afternoon, the Press article was updated to include a press release from Balance North Idaho which acknowledged it had placed the deceptive hyperlinks.   I wonder if Balance North Idaho’s “well Balanced candidates” endorsed and supported the deceptive practice?   I wonder if Balance North Idaho’s Board of Directors would appreciate having their personal names hyperlinked in alleged news stories to unsavory websites?  No doubt they would not.  After all, appropriation of one’s name or likeness for commercial or political purposes  but without his explicit permission violates his privacy rights in many states.