Newspaper puts bounty on blogger's anonymity

Most of us around the Wisconsin blogosphere remember early this year when a local newspaper tried to investigate the identity of anonymous blogger Dennis York. In far Western Wisconsin, the New Richmond News has taken that a step further. Rather than doing the sleuthing themselves, they've placed a bounty on the identity of an anonymous blogger from BBA member On the Borderline:

We want to do our part to stem the tide. We are offering four free Twins tickets to anyone providing the name of the real Jack Bauer poster.

We’d even give Jack the tickets if he/she is brave enough to “out” themselves. Afterall, if “Bauer” truly stands behind the statements he/she posts, there’s no reason for anonymity.

First off, if I were Bauer I'd be a bit amused by the fact that a newspaper thinks it could buy my identity with flippin' Twins tickets. Secondly, for an industry that so fiercely protects the identity of anonymous sources, it seems more than a little unethical that they are willing to pay money to unveil the ID of an anonymous blogger.

For more of this story, head over to On the Borderline. There is some conversation of this story going on there.