Chronicle of Higher Education – unpaywalled: “…In the endless chase for good publicity, some colleges don’t hesitate to shell out thousands for positive stories, even if doing so might seem contrary to their truth-seeking mission. Media attention is a difficult game to play. If you land a profile in a magazine or newspaper that follows the norms of journalism, you’re subject to the reporter’s scrutiny, and possibly to a story that might include faculty members’ criticisms, or unflattering anecdotes. Why bother when you can pay for something that looks like an independent profile, and promote it afterward as if it is?…”