Comments on: Ethics of Blogging for Paid Posts http://www.yugatech.com/problogging/ethics-of-blogging-for-paid-posts/ Philippines, Tech Reviews and Blog Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:21:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Daragang Magayon: The Life and Loves of a Single Mom (ex-Chemist) Turned Problogger » the ads in this blog and reviewme http://www.yugatech.com/problogging/ethics-of-blogging-for-paid-posts/comment-page-1/#comment-71623 Daragang Magayon: The Life and Loves of a Single Mom (ex-Chemist) Turned Problogger » the ads in this blog and reviewme Wed, 15 Nov 2006 06:17:33 +0000 http://www.yugatech.com/blog/?p=1353#comment-71623 [...] I’ve heard the buzz about ReviewMe, like the gaya-gaya that I am,  I jumped in. Why not? if there’s a pot of gold for doing something legit as reviewing a blog, product or whatever it is they want reviewed for a fee.  [...] [...] I’ve heard the buzz about ReviewMe, like the gaya-gaya that I am,  I jumped in. Why not? if there’s a pot of gold for doing something legit as reviewing a blog, product or whatever it is they want reviewed for a fee.  [...]

]]> By: anton http://www.yugatech.com/problogging/ethics-of-blogging-for-paid-posts/comment-page-1/#comment-71519 anton Wed, 15 Nov 2006 00:52:23 +0000 http://www.yugatech.com/blog/?p=1353#comment-71519 This is one of the reason why I pay for all my food trips, because getting complimentary food or discounts for the resto that I feature can be considered as paid post. Bloggers are more subjective and opinionated. This should not influenced or biased by money or other forms of preferential treatment. Thanks Yuga for this post! This is one of the reason why I pay for all my food trips, because getting complimentary food or discounts for the resto that I feature can be considered as paid post.

Bloggers are more subjective and opinionated. This should not influenced or biased by money or other forms of preferential treatment.

Thanks Yuga for this post!

]]> By: Max Limpag http://www.yugatech.com/problogging/ethics-of-blogging-for-paid-posts/comment-page-1/#comment-70689 Max Limpag Mon, 13 Nov 2006 12:00:44 +0000 http://www.yugatech.com/blog/?p=1353#comment-70689 Abe, You're right. It's up to bloggers what they make of their blogs and it's perfectly fine and it's what people love about the format. Blogging is first a personal medium. But I feel it's an altogether different thing for some sites, especially those that do reporting or opinion making and are seen as alternatives to "mainstream" media (and all its malaise). And depending on where you stand, you can say a line had been crossed when you accepted payment from the subject of your article. Ultimately it's a personal thing. As a reader, would you trust a post paid for by the subject of the article? I won't, precisely because of the reasons you enumerated. But depending on the poster, I might give him or her benefit of the doubt. Abe,
You’re right. It’s up to bloggers what they make of their blogs and it’s perfectly fine and it’s what people love about the format. Blogging is first a personal medium.

But I feel it’s an altogether different thing for some sites, especially those that do reporting or opinion making and are seen as alternatives to “mainstream” media (and all its malaise).

And depending on where you stand, you can say a line had been crossed when you accepted payment from the subject of your article.

Ultimately it’s a personal thing. As a reader, would you trust a post paid for by the subject of the article? I won’t, precisely because of the reasons you enumerated. But depending on the poster, I might give him or her benefit of the doubt.

]]> By: yuga http://www.yugatech.com/problogging/ethics-of-blogging-for-paid-posts/comment-page-1/#comment-70674 yuga Mon, 13 Nov 2006 10:08:17 +0000 http://www.yugatech.com/blog/?p=1353#comment-70674 I enumerated those samples in MSM to make a point in an analogy. These journalists took an oath and yet they still went beyond the borders of what is appropriate in their line of practice. In that connection, ReviewMe's requirement for disclosure is just like that oath. The line can always be crossed. In the end, it's not the profession (journalist or blogger) but the person himself who makes the final choice. I enumerated those samples in MSM to make a point in an analogy. These journalists took an oath and yet they still went beyond the borders of what is appropriate in their line of practice.

In that connection, ReviewMe’s requirement for disclosure is just like that oath. The line can always be crossed. In the end, it’s not the profession (journalist or blogger) but the person himself who makes the final choice.

]]> By: Connie http://www.yugatech.com/problogging/ethics-of-blogging-for-paid-posts/comment-page-1/#comment-70641 Connie Mon, 13 Nov 2006 07:52:22 +0000 http://www.yugatech.com/blog/?p=1353#comment-70641 "Journalists should never become paid endorsers and just because prominent ones are doing this doesn’t make the practice right." I agree with Max. In fact, I will go one step further. Endorsements should not be allowed. A product has to stand on its own merits and companies capable and willing to pay celebrity endorsers should not be allowed to confuse the public by glossing over the inherent substance of the product vis a vis the eye-candy appeal of the celebrity endorser. UNLESS the endorser can PROVE that he actually uses the product on a REGULAR BASIS. “Journalists should never become paid endorsers and just because prominent ones are doing this doesn’t make the practice right.”

I agree with Max. In fact, I will go one step further. Endorsements should not be allowed. A product has to stand on its own merits and companies capable and willing to pay celebrity endorsers should not be allowed to confuse the public by glossing over the inherent substance of the product vis a vis the eye-candy appeal of the celebrity endorser. UNLESS the endorser can PROVE that he actually uses the product on a REGULAR BASIS.

]]> By: yuga http://www.yugatech.com/problogging/ethics-of-blogging-for-paid-posts/comment-page-1/#comment-70638 yuga Mon, 13 Nov 2006 07:33:43 +0000 http://www.yugatech.com/blog/?p=1353#comment-70638 Really hard to be a blogger from being a journalists. The standards do not level down in terms of factual research and objectivity. Bloggers enjoy being biased and opinionated, and sometimes with self-interests like being paid to post reviews. Really hard to be a blogger from being a journalists. The standards do not level down in terms of factual research and objectivity. Bloggers enjoy being biased and opinionated, and sometimes with self-interests like being paid to post reviews.

]]> By: Max Limpag http://www.yugatech.com/problogging/ethics-of-blogging-for-paid-posts/comment-page-1/#comment-70570 Max Limpag Mon, 13 Nov 2006 04:44:56 +0000 http://www.yugatech.com/blog/?p=1353#comment-70570 Abe, All your mainstream media examples are bad. Journalists should never become paid endorsers and just because prominent ones are doing this doesn't make the practice right. And just because less than scrupulous journalists are doing it doesn’t make it right for bloggers either. To answer your question whether paid endorsements affect the credibility of journalists: for me, yes --- a lot. I don’t trust them. Do you? If they accept payments to endorse products, what guarantees do we have that they do not accept favors to affect the slant of their news stories? You rarely read food reviews that are negative, for example, because most often critics are served free. They're sent on a junket that's paid for by a hotel or a restaurant that wants to promote its services. When you're not paying for something, your valuation is skewed. You want to read a review that isn't part of a junket? <a href="http://living.cebunetwork.com/tubod-flowing-water-resort-bird-sanctuary/2006/10/23/" rel="nofollow">Here's one.</a> :-) But as I said in my post, the service might work for some blogs. You can look at it as being paid to join a software or service evaluation and then getting paid for your comments on the product, only that you're sharing the experience with your readers. Still, I cannot see how you can compartmentalize it. How you accept money to write about something for some posts and not for others. Abe,
All your mainstream media examples are bad. Journalists should never become paid endorsers and just because prominent ones are doing this doesn’t make the practice right. And just because less than scrupulous journalists are doing it doesn’t make it right for bloggers either.

To answer your question whether paid endorsements affect the credibility of journalists: for me, yes — a lot. I don’t trust them. Do you? If they accept payments to endorse products, what guarantees do we have that they do not accept favors to affect the slant of their news stories?

You rarely read food reviews that are negative, for example, because most often critics are served free. They’re sent on a junket that’s paid for by a hotel or a restaurant that wants to promote its services. When you’re not paying for something, your valuation is skewed. You want to read a review that isn’t part of a junket? Here’s one. :-)

But as I said in my post, the service might work for some blogs. You can look at it as being paid to join a software or service evaluation and then getting paid for your comments on the product, only that you’re sharing the experience with your readers.

Still, I cannot see how you can compartmentalize it. How you accept money to write about something for some posts and not for others.

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