Image: James Vaughn. Flickr/CC

A Japanese consumer electronics maker is hiring unethical reporters to gather video footage of competing products — saying it needs the hacks’ press passes to access the devices at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

This reporter on Friday received an email from the company, which included an offer to pay me handsomely for close-ups that will only be available to accredited members of the press.

I have since swapped voice mail messages with the sender of the email, who works at a PR firm employed by the company. I declined the offer via email on Saturday.

The offer, an all expenses paid trip to Vegas, plus a fee for my time (“Does not include gambling, though, ” the rep quips), would have required me to examine and make detailed recordings of new products from all of the company’s competitors.

“The gist of it, is that they need photos – close up videos (we’re thinking of using a simple Flip HD cam) - of all their competitors, but most booths will not allow close ups unless you have a press pass,” the company representative writes.

Despite my refusal, I fear the electronics company will find its spy, anyway.

At the moment, in addition to blogging at Blast Magazine, I write the Boston Globe’s personal technology column, User Friendly.

But I have also written for dozens of trade and consumer rags. And many of those had editors who were preoccupied with what they called  “strengthening vendor relationships.” That’s code for befriending potential advertisers and taking their money and free shit — while keeping their readers in the dark about those relationships.