Of course, Gawker would probably argue that “comments section” isn’t the right frame for thinking about its all-content-has-status platform Kinja. Alex Kantrowitz in Ad Age:

Sometime next Wednesday, celebrity scientist Bill Nye will take a seat in front of a computer and invite the internet to ask him whatever it wants. But he won’t be taking the questions on Reddit, a medium famous for its “Ask Me Anything” sessions. Rather, Mr. Nye will be operating within the comments section of Gizmodo, a Gawker Media website on a page sponsored by State Farm. The entire interaction, from start to finish, will be an ad.

Mr. Nye’s Q&A is part of a new “native” ad format that Gawker has been trying this year. The company is working with advertisers to host sponsored discussion sessions on its Kinja commenting platform, hoping to turn its community into an engaged audience its advertisers can tap into…

The campaign’s goal, Mr. Del said, is to drive home a message that a State Farm agent is a trusted adviser. And making scientists available to chat with consumers, he said, is a good way to do it. “Where else can they convey the idea that when you rely on State Farm, you’re not just getting a canned response, you’re getting an agent?” said Mr. Del.