It never fully escaped notice that Winfrey's advertisers were those whose products often, if not invariably, enjoyed her on-air or in-print blessing as well. Over the mid-2000s, for example, Dove soap was the subject of major segments featuring its various products and their merits. True, the ostensible topic was the brand's new advertising campaign, which promoted "real beauty" by featuring ordinary women as models. The messaging was a good fit with Winfrey's goal of encouraging self-esteem. It's also true, however, that Dove spent $16.4 million for commercial spots on the syndicated TV show and another $32.8 million on print ads in O.

Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, loc. 803