signor_john - 3:35 pm on Dec 29, 2008 (gmt 0)

I don't recall seeing any stories about newspapers, magazines, TV networks, or radio stations paying damages or being hit with criminal charges because of advertisers who committed fraud or violated other laws.

Still, if you're genuinely worried about sued for advertisers' sins, wouldn't it make sense to find a different business model? Even direct ad sales aren't a panacea: I'm sure there were plenty of media running corporate ads for Enron before Ken Lay & Co. were exposed as scammers.