shill

He did it again today. Wednesday. Chris Matthews, the newsman, TV pundit, historian and author, blatantly promoted his own book on his regular weekday news show. He told his regular viewers like me at some length, once more, how good and popular his book is -- and how buyers are flocking to stores to get it.
He hinted strongly that listeners do the same. He did all this in the middle of his hour-long network show, the day's news coming fore and aft.
To me, Chris Matthews thus is mixing personal gelt with his news. It's something a shill might do, but not a careful and serious news person.
I know that television hosts routinely expect guest authors to plug current books, even display their fancy covers. But I've never before seen a news professional indulge in such a prolonged, shabby, purely-commercial self-promotion.
The book? Well, it's a biography of a hero of mine, titled "Jack Kennedy," and it may be very good. I happen to have a copy, the gift of a relative.
I haven't read it yet. I surely will, but for right now, the bloom is off.