Huh?

From today's Editor & Publisher e-letter is this bizarre story about what is either the biggest case of unmitigated audacity the newspaper publishing industry has yet encountered (well, maybe) or an elaborate Internet scam/prank along the lines of those fake e-mails from banks instructing people to e-mail their account number.
Apparently, three dozen midwest newspapers received e-mails from Cub Foods, a Midwest grocery chain, the text of which read:

"Good Morning!! Cub Foods is continuing to update our Advertising Database, and would like a monthly update on our competitor's spending. If you could insert the appropriate information into the form below, that would be great. You can email this information back to me as soon as you have finished it or if faxing is easier, our fax is listed below! Please send to my attention."

This sounds fake, I admit (no newspaper in its right mind would tell any company what their competitors spend on advertising) but apparently Cub Foods has tried this in the past. This story reminded me of another story that came out last spring, when BP (the petroleum company) said that any magazine that hoped to have the company's advertising grace its pages had to clear all editorial copy that related to BP or the oil industry in general with BP. Is print publishing perceived to be in such dire straits and so desperate for advertising that advertisers think that publishers will give in to whatever ludicrous demands are made of them?

I will not be surprised when the broadcast television industry beocmes prey to such idiotic demands.