I've been "bashing" sleazy penny stocks since 1997. I'm very good at doing research. Back in the late '90s, when pennies were hotter than they are now, I was in the press all the time.
Oddly enough, though, nobody ever suggested that I accept money for posts. It's never happened to the many other "bashers" I know. So...my conclusion is that there are no "paid bashers". It'd be pointless. Who'd pay us? How'd they calculate our fees? Why would they bother, given that we do it free?