checkbook journalism
noun
: the practice of paying someone for a news story and especially for granting an interview
Examples of checkbook journalism in a Sentence
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In Europe, where checkbook journalism is rampant, Becker was paid $35,000 by a German magazine for an interview.
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Angela Gaudioso, SPIN, 22 May 2022
The one defense for checkbook journalism is that it’s being done in the public interest.
—Bryan Lowry, kansascity, 3 May 2018
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Angela Gaudioso, SPIN, 22 May 2022
The one defense for checkbook journalism is that it’s being done in the public interest.
—Bryan Lowry, kansascity, 3 May 2018
Cite this Entry
“Checkbook journalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/checkbook%20journalism. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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