So this latest stunt of pushing advertising as journalism won’t surprise you:

How Amex found the news coverage it wanted

Gannett newspapers in 15 U.S. markets this month will publish short profiles of up to 150 small retailers, in a holiday shopping series sponsored exclusively by American Express.

But the stories published online so far are vague about the credit card company’s involvement — showing the nation’s biggest newspaper publisher is once more testing the limits of Journalism 101 Ethics.

At papers in Asbury Park, N.J.; Brevard, Fla.; Louisville, Ky., and Phoenix, readers are told only that the stories are “presented” by American Express.

Yet, they aren’t told the retailers are all supposed to be those accepting American Express cards, according to an internal GCI document provided to me by a reader.

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But the document, a guide for photographers working on the series, is much more explicit.

“In a deal with American Express,” it says, “Gannett Co. Inc., is producing a sales campaign around Small Business Saturday called Shopping Main Street. The two-week campaign starts Nov. 23, a couple of days before Black Friday and will feature local small businesses that are American Express merchants in 15 Gannett markets.”

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Among journalism ethics transgressions, this isn’t the end of the world. Still, it violates a long-standing rule designed to protect a media outlet’s credibility: Reporters don’t favor businesses in order to please advertisers.

Click here to read the entire thing.

It’s the same thing that’s been appearing in American Express advertisements in business and trade magazines for months. And now your paper will be passing that advertising off as news.

The problems also impacted the Des Moines Register.

Here’s the kicker: the Register mentions the problems on its website and offers an alternative:

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But the AKN does not:

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Even though it gets a low mention on the front page of the printed product:

Those locally who received their papers on time only got the early edition (for which special advertising is sold) – even those in Indiana.

Woops?

Despite the Metro Animal Services audit committee suggesting that this job be eliminated, LMAS is hiring for it. Imagine that. [Click the Clicky]

Darryl Owens wants to change how the legal system treats young children. [H-L]

Really? You still need a reason for why we think Mitch Daniels is a Jerry Abramson/Greg Fischer-style cheerleader? He had time to do this ridiculous interview but has done jack to help solve the bridge disaster that his state is responsible for. [Politico]

This has got to be one of the dumbest reasons ever for giving Greg Fischer props. Head – desk. [Consuming Louisville]

Dear Salvation Army: Maybe you could stop with your discriminatory practices and you’d have more funding available? [FOX41]

Just in case you needed more proof of the Greg Fischer-Editorial Board circle jerk? Here’s yet another instance of Fischer getting praise for something that’s an absolute disaster. [C-J/AKN]

We’d maybe be writing more about this “Occupy Louisville” bit if it weren’t the same old people attending every other protest. Sure, we support the mission. But come on. [WHAS11]

Yet another story about the Louisville Orchestra’s embarrassing disaster of fail. Let’s all bang our heads against a wall together. [Business First]

Voters in Hardin County realize that alcohol sales will increase tax revenue. And that it’s silly to prohibit sales when residents can drive five minutes away and make a purchase. Now the rest of the state needs to get with the program. [WLKY]

Don’t be surprised if, for some reason, Jack Conway loses his re-election bid. It will be because he’s done absolutely no campaigning. It could be 2010 all over again. [Page One]

Here’s the front page at 9:42 P.M. last night:

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The President of the United States of America came to Kentucky and that is the paper’s most important story:

And you wonder why people think it’s gone to pot.

Guess we should expect no less since you never correct errors, constantly go after critics, allow your reporters to publish crap that is bogus and couldn’t be bothered with being honest about the gubernatorial race/bridges/Fischer/MSD/anything.

Head – desk.

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Oops.

You should probably nominate someone for the third category of the Golden Poo Awards ASAP. This one involves pearl clutching – the most insincere kind! [Page One]

Just in case you were wondering where some of those University of Louisville equine grant dollars went? [Click At Your Own Risk]

One shyster after another at the University of Louisville is swindling hundreds of thousands of dollars per pop. Jim Ramsey usually knows about it looooong before it gets investigated. And you folks in Frankfort keep thinking it’s a-okay to continue down this path. [WHAS11]

There will be no delay by the Metro Council in Judy Green’s removal hearing. [FOX41]

If you grow up starved of calories, you could have a greater risk of heart disease. Early diet matters. This is why kids shouldn’t go hungry. [BBC]

The new superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools says the district is committed to diversity. [WAVE3]

There’s not going to be any “research funding” left at the University of Louisville if people keep swiping it without any oversight at all. [C-J/AKN]

There’s a new store opening on Westport Road and all kinds of artists will be there. [Consuming Louisville]

Jewish Hospital cut 155 positions. 30% through attrition. The rest got offered severance or comparable positions. [Business First]

Here’s a look at TARC’s fancy LEED Gold-certified maintenance facility. [Broken Sidewalk]

Metro Police are looking for a Good Samaritan who helped an injured city worker. [WLKY]

We encourage Mayor Greg Fischer, who has shown his skills as a negotiator (notably the effort to save historic buildings on Main Street), to call together leaders in labor, the arts and business to discuss how to salvage the orchestra, which is more than six decades old. One of his notable predecessors, Mayor Charles Farnsley, entered the fray in similar circumstances to the benefit of the community, because his creative solution included support for contemporary music, something the Ford Foundation embraced with a large grant.

Wow.

Yep. They actually put that in print. AND brought up Charles Farnsley. It’s like the editorial board doesn’t even wait for the community to crack the jokes anymore.

You are welcome.

Here’s the old:

The new:

At least five departures took place over the past week:

• Nancy Rodriguez left her spot covering higher education to – get this – work for the Kentucky Department of Education
• Michael Hayman, a veteran photographer, retired
• Andrea Udhe Shepherd, Oldham County reporter, took a public relations job — Nope! Our source was incorrect. She’s now the executive director of the Colon Cancer Prevention Project
• Greg Johnson, who spent 30 years at the paper, quit/retired rather than become Features Editor
• Gary Swick in IT left his spot because he was allegedly tired of working around the clock

Possibility city.

You’d think the editorial board could get its facts straight by now. No Kill Louisville has tons of shelter management experience. One of its top folks has decades of experiencing running a large facility. Justin Scally definitely deserves the opportunity to do a good job. But people – particularly the apologists at your failing local paper – need to quit acting like Sadiqa Reynolds’ “with us or against us” way is supreme. Legitimate concerns, questions and disappointment should not be tossed aside. You cannot expect this community to come together overnight after Greg Fischer and crew spent a year ripping everything to shreds. [Short Sighted Editorial]

Get a load of Jack Conway in 2002 versus Jack Conway in 2011. [Page One]

The elephant in the room is FOX41 slowly referring to itself as “WDRB” more and more. Like with this Emmy story. [FOX41]

Are water main issues a preview of the future? [Broken Sidewalk]

Will the Rupp Arena task force cause Lexington as many headaches as the arena shenanigans caused Louisville? [H-L]

Remember the Louisville Zoo train crash? Turns out an employee disabled the train’s warning light prior to the accident. A light that could have alerted folks to problems with the brakes. [WKYT]

Wait, what? Free hot dogs at the Frazier Museum? [Consuming Louisville]

Little by little, problems at the Metropolitan Sewer District are floating to the surface like, well, you know exactly what we’re talking about. [C-J/AKN]

A fundraising event at Central Park tried to change the reputation of pit bulls. [WAVE3]

Kentucky is among the 10 states where government-sector jobs have grown the fastest over the past five years. [Business First]

Wait for this one: a Seymour police officer crashed a DARE trailer while allegedly driving drunk. [WHAS11]

Friday marked the 86th day Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman Steve Robertson questioned Jack Conway: “We will hold Jack Conway’s feet to the fire each and every day until he answers our questions surrounding this controversy,” said Robertson. “For a man who supposedly believes in transparency and accountability, this situation represents the height of hypocrisy.” [Press Release]