"Insects, huh? Shark Tank had a cricket meal business funded a couple weeks ago and they said they could help them with a PR campaign advocating cricket eating. What do I bet that this article I am about to click on will not be about the more common sorts of insects eaten such as grasshoppers and worms, but will prominently feature crickets and cricket meal, proving the author, whoever that is, is a stooge for Big Media?"
< Click. >
"Bingo. The Shark Tank guys are good. Really know how to play the game."
I'm not sure I'd go all 'stooge' on them. Its an interesting story and it resonates with a lot of current issues (Warming, farming, PETA, Etc) Of course if the story comes from some young hippie looking guy, as a reporter, you're less likely to report on it than if it comes from some 'known successful' person. Its a characteristic of our society that things the 'cool people' are doing is worth talking about. Is that stoogeism? Or is that someone vetting the idea for some reporter who doesn't want to waste time on otherwise suspect idea?
It could also be just part of our zeitgeist and the link you are making is coincidental and not influenced or paid for by shark tank's investors. I think to prove that there is a shark tank connection, you need to research the author's bio a bit more, article history, and prove that this author repeatedly writes pseudo articles that are marketing pieces... and you have not done any of that research.
"Insects, huh? Shark Tank had a cricket meal business funded a couple weeks ago and they said they could help them with a PR campaign advocating cricket eating. What do I bet that this article I am about to click on will not be about the more common sorts of insects eaten such as grasshoppers and worms, but will prominently feature crickets and cricket meal, proving the author, whoever that is, is a stooge for Big Media?"
< Click. >
"Bingo. The Shark Tank guys are good. Really know how to play the game."