Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York & Los Angeles

New York — When ABC News brought Amanda Congdon aboard in December to do video blogs for its website and digital channel, the network was hoping to capitalize on the former Rocketboom anchor's popularity among a younger, Web-savvier set. But the alliance between the network news division and the irreverent Web personality has forced ABC to confront a murky issue: When bloggers engage in journalism, do they have to hew to the same rules? That tension was underscored this week with the news that Congdon is currently featured in a series of commercials for DuPont on the chemical company's website. In the short-form videos, dubbed "Science Stories," the 25-year-old dons a white lab coat and cheerfully touts the value of DuPont products such as Kevlar and Nomex.

ABC, like other news organizations, prohibits its freelancers and staffers from participating in commercials and other outside activities that could erode their journalistic independence. But Jeffrey Schneider, a spokesman for the news division, said Congdon is a contributing commentator, not a journalist. "This was a unique arrangement," Schneider said. "She's not reading the headlines, she's not reporting the news of the day. She's offering her own style of opinion." Still, Congdon's role has raised qualms inside the news division, where some are uncomfortable that the outspoken blogger and actress is affiliated with the ABC News brand. While executives knew that she had done commercials in the past, an ABC source said they were not aware of the DuPont ads, which were produced around the same time Congdon joined the network. The full story on the LATimes.