The New York Times has barred popular tech columnist David Pogue from making appearances like a controversial PR trade publication speech he made recently which is being sold in video form by Ragan Communications.

Times public editor Arthur Brisbane wrote today that his inquiry into the matter led to an internal review by the paper and, as a result, Pogue is now barred from talks like the Ragan speech, which was dubbed "Pitch Me Baby" and is being sold by Ragan for $159.

Brisbane said such appearances are prohibited by the Times' ethics policy. Pogue, as a freelancer, was not previously held to the same standard as staffers.

Philip Corbett, associate managing editor for standards at the times, told Brisbane that a popular columnist like Pogue "is identified closely with The Times, so it’s important that he take care to avoid conflicts of interest that could reflect on his Times work."

Pogue said he has agreed "not to do any more speaking for Ragan or any PR-related event or organization."

Pogue has been a frequent target of ethics debates. Newsweek tech writer Dan Lyons in May questioned whether Pogue dating tech PR executive Nicki Dugan represented a conflict of interest for the columnist, and Pogue was also the subject of a Times public editor column in 2009 over his role writing books about products he reviewed for the paper.