When a respected magazine publishes its list of the best destinations or the top 10 airlines or in the case of Travel and Leisure magazine, their a-list of the best travel advisers, you want to believe them. But consider this development.

This year, Travel and Leisure magazine will start charging $4,000 to travel agents who want to be included on its annual list of the best advisers. How can you believe any list if its compiled based on people “paying” to be on it?

This situation could actually be getting worse at travel magazines in terms of content. Did you ever notice that you’re now seeing more stories on jewelry, fashion and watches in the national travel magazines than stories on travel? That’s not a coincidence. That’s where the magazines are getting more of their advertising these days.

In the interest of full disclosure, magazines like Travel and Leisure that insist on a pay to play editorial philosophy need to advise their readers of this questionable relationship between their advertisers and their editors.

By Peter Greenberg for PeterGreenberg.com