Germany: Ministry offers ads against PR

 The German Ministry of Economic Affairs has apparently offered newspapers the placement of advertisements in return for co-organizing and reporting on political events. This involves advertisements worth between 30,000 and 40,000 euros as part of the "Dialogtour, Impulse für Wachstum" campaign. Economics Minister Michael Glos immediately distanced himself from such a possible practice in Bild am Sonntag. The Kölner Stadtanzeiger also stated that, according to the ministry, 140,000 euros had already been spent on the campaign. The responsible PR agency gave the newspapers precise specifications regarding the scope of reporting on the events and the moderation by the editor-in-chief. According to SDA, a ministry spokesperson said there was "no influence on the reporting". He was not aware of any "counter-financing" being offered.