Morning Joe, Brewed by Starbucks

Starting today, my favorite morning program - MSNBC's "Morning Joe" - will be sponsored by Starbucks.  According to the New York Times, this is

"...the closest integration between an advertiser and a national news program in recent memory. Harkening back to the 'Camel News Caravan,' an NBC news roundup sponsored by a cigarette manufacturer in the 1950s, graphics and voice-overs will tell viewers that 'Morning Joe' is 'brewed by Starbucks.'"

The hosts, Joe and Mika already drink Starbucks every morning and have conversations about their coffee drinks during several shows a week.  It is a smart move for Starbucks to make the endorsement official.  I am not sure it is smart for "Morning Joe" to accept the sponsorship.  However, I wonder if it will change the honest conversations that Joe and Mika have about the coffee.  Mika regularly chides Joe regularly about his fatty drink topped with piles of whipped cream while she sets a good example with her "healty Starbucks drink."  Will they have to only make positive comments about the drinks from this point forward?The sponsorship is encompassing and includes graphics and several mentions during the show.  "The anchors and the coffee company may team up on charitable initiatives. And the program may be broadcast from Starbucks locations when it travels, as it did last year for the political conventions and this year for the inauguration."Of course, the show promises to cover Starbucks news fairly and will not be biased by the sponsorship.  Regardless, I think of "Morning Joe" as a serious news show--not the morning candy of "The Today Show" and "Good Morning America"--so when Joe leads into the commercial break with "you are watching 'Morning Joe,' brewed by Starbucks" (as he did this morning), I have a harder time taking him seriously.