If the news agency accepted compensation in return for writing the piece, then they are required to disclose it. Relevant FTC guidance:

> A basic truth-in-advertising principle is that it’s deceptive to mislead consumers about the commercial nature of content. Advertisements or promotional messages are deceptive if they convey to consumers expressly or by implication that they’re independent, impartial, or from a source other than the sponsoring advertiser – in other words, that they’re something other than ads. (...) As the FTC Endorsement Guides establish, advertisers’ use of third-party endorsements may be deceptive if there is an undisclosed material connection between the advertiser and the endorser – one that might materially affect the weight or credibility of the endorsement

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/nat...

https://www.ftc.gov/public-statements/2015/12/commission-enf...

These rules are enforced. For example, Machinima recently settled with the FTC over the fact that Machinima paid endorsers to include footage of the Xbox in reviews and commentary.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/3/17/11254260/machina-settles-f...

I have NEVER seen at attributed article in 30 years of reading such things. Typically you are not paid to write an article, you are encouraged to write an article featuring that company, and they agreed to do advertising in your magazine or on your site.

I don't (just) care where they got material compensation. I care whether they're doing this because of influence from one of the subjects of the story -- e.g. if the PR dude wrote the story and the journalist just forwarded it on.

What would incentivize me to forward on such a review? Material compensation just happen somewhere... No one posts great reviews about a product because they were asked nicely. Unsolicited? That's fine; I consider that a review based on the merit of the product. Solicited? The first question is, "what's in it for me?"

This FTC regulation might have more teeth if the definition of compensation included, for example, influencing the hiring or employment of a relative related to the subject of the post.

Or "writing the freaking article for you".

There are probably indirect ways to "pay" the advertiser