Payola At The Correspondents Dinner?

Steve Clemons asks at The Washington Note:

I was just told that many major news conglomerates "pay" many of the celebrities to attend the dinner and sit at their tables. This is news to me. I thought most were there because they had an inner policy wonk driving them to the big night gala with DC's top press corps and President Obama.

But are they paid? Is this really the case? I want to know.

So would a lot of people! It has to be emphasized - Clemons' question concerns rumor, not fact, not even alleged fact. (A veteran reporter friend once offered this rule of thumb: "Sex rumors are usually true, because sex is simple ... but money is complicated, so money rumors are often wrong.") Still, Steve has keen ears. So if he has heard something, it's probably something worth knowing more about ....