A deal with the
devil, designed to grab a few
TV ratings points or to cause a spike in
dead-tree readership. An increasing tactic in the age of
corporate synergy. A celebrity consents to an interview/profile,
but gets to decide (implicitly or explicitly) the terms of this
journalistic event.
Wacko Jacko, at the height of his fame, was the consummate virtuoso at this; his "King of Pop" nickname was invented by his
handlers and muscled into
memehood.