I mean this question both sarcastically and seriously: Is this really new? As if advertisers have never tried to pressure news organizations to kill a story. As if they’ve never succeeded. As if journalism used to live in a glorious past where all was objectivity and editorial independence and this young upstart is heralding a new “era of brand driven censorship.”

Admittedly, I don’t know my history, which is why this is partially a serious question, but my spidey senses are tingling…