Tell AARP where to get off - Updated

There's been a bit of a blog squall over a post Jane Hamsher wrote the other day about large organizations who bombard big blogs with press releases looking for free exposure -- which they often get -- and then failing to support those blogs with paid advertising. It's a valid point. I think her post was unfairly cast as some kind of threat or demand for quid pro quo. Whatever. AARP is never going to advertise on this blog, so it's not really my fight.

But I see AARP decided to respond publicly as well on their blog with a rather disdainful post by Andrew Nannis, the Director of Media Relations that in short said, "Screw you Jane. We're not going to buy any ads from you now." Nannis also advises that AARP "values the contribution of the millions of Americans who use blogs to share information and to express their views."

I was glad to hear that they value our input. Serendipitiously, AARP was listed as one of the advertisers on Glen Beck's House of Horrors at Fox. I'm thinking what better place to register our disgust with that advertising choice? So I left this comment on their post last night:

I'm not so much concerned about the ad space you don't buy as I am with the space that you're purchasing already. I was told today that you underwrite the Glen Beck program on Fox with your advertising dollars. I hope you're aware of the increasingly incendiary content of his show as he attempts to ratchet up his ratings by instilling fear and outrage in his more gullible viewers via the use of copious misinformation and outrageous stunts.

I'm appalled that you would use your advertising budget to support such dangerously irresponsible programming.

The comments are moderated and so far AARP hasn't "valued my contribution" enough to publish it. Perhaps it's because they don't work on weekends, but I'll be surprised if it ever sees the light of day [see update]. Nonetheless, it strikes me as a good venue to get our complaints directly to the media buyer. If enough people comment, I feel sure they'll notice even if they don't acknowledge it. I'd urge everyone to take a moment today and let them know what you think about their advertising buy on Beck.

Update: Comments are now being published, including mine. So far they're being overrun with right wingers complaining that AARP is a "leftist" organization. Please do take a moment to weigh in for our side.

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]