While everyone's all busy fussing over Dan Rather's messy memo faux pas, we've failed to keep an eye on an even more important ethical issue: fashion and style reporting. You know those perky bitches who get on the morning news and tell you what the hot styles are and which colors are best for whatever? Some of them are getting paid off by the brands they push. And while that may not be shocking, the fact that some are making $750 per label is shit-worthy. Do the news producers know about this? And is this sort of practice merely limited to guest style consultants? Hmm.

After the jump, a stylist's email negotiating her fee for hawking designer denim on Local Fox 5. Boy, we can't wait to watch the morning news for some expensive and biased style tips!

From: [Stylist name redacted]
Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 10:25 AM
Subject: LIVE TV segment with [brand redacted]

Dear [Brand rep name redacted],
Here is a blurb on me, perhaps you've already seen me on TV? Anyway, here is the scoop on the paid TV placements that I do as we discussed.

...[Stylist name redacted] is a British-born fashion and lifestyle writer who has been based in New York City for the past seven years. In addition to her writing for The New York Post, Millionaire Magazine, The London Sunday Times 'Style' and regular fashion columns, she appears regularly as a Style Expert on different TV networks commentating on celebrity fashion as seen at The Emmy's and The Oscars. She is also a regular guest whom producers seek out to explain emerging trends or to translate high- fashion in to looks that work for all of us. Her own fashion values reflect her personal style which are a healthy mix of occasional designer items mixed with budget and bargain find. She's just as happy pitching the merits of a Giorgio Armani outfit as something from The Gap...

I have appeared on WNBC's Today In New York, and appear regularly on WB11 Morning News (WPIX), and Fox 5 GOOD DAY NEW YORK as well as traveling to FOX Chicago and other markets out of NYC.

My next segment is planned for the week of October 4th and I will appear on the FOX 5 Good Day New York. My segment will run between 8.20 and 9.00am in the morning.

For the 3-4 minute segment I propose to talk about "Fabulous Fitting Jeans for all shapes and sizes" and I will talk about where to purchase these jeans and the price will be chronyed (credited on the screen). For this placement I have a standard contract letter. For some time now I have successfully used a casual agreement (which is faxed then signed and returned) and request $750 for profiling a brand. There is a kill fee 20% in the case of unforeseen breaking news interruption (we cant stop life happening on live TV! — that's if the segment is shortened/canceled.

Please let me know if you'd like to participate, as I think this segment is a good match for your clientele etc. I would need approx six pairs of jeans and this segment will use live models.

Look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible as I must get going on this right away!

Best Regards,
[Stylist name redacted]

Jesus, we're all preoccupied with some old news anchor and in the meantime we're being LIED to about what to wear. Can we trust anyone anymore?

Contact information for this author is not available.