How to Lose Your Credibility as a Blogger
Posted by Chris Gent on January 1, 2007 at 10:00 AM
"The blogosphere is not a market, it's a community." -- Josh Hallett
FPRA member Josh Hallett is quoted in an article in today's edition of the Orlando Sentinel describing a growing and controversial Web-based business: PayPerPost. The article raises ethical concerns about paying bloggers for postings that promote products or services. The practice of paid blogging without disclosure also violates FPRA's Code of Ethics.
Josh had a series of posts on his blog about this issue dating back to June 2006.
Click here to read the Sentinel article.
Thanks, Josh, for representing FPRA and its Code of Ethics so well.
Visitor Comments
That was a good article in the Sentinel.
To be clear, PayPerPost is a Florida-HQ'd marketplace used by marketers and bloggers to contract with each other for reviews, feedback and PR (analogous to eBay buyers & sellers of physical goods). My firm backed the PPP team because of their commitment to a win-win-win for marketers, CGM content creators and audiences.
PPP's marketplace requires disclosure by its participants and has structured itself for use in accordance with all FPRA and WOMMA ethical guidelines. In fact, using PPP's marketplace to coordinate PR, feedback and disclosure across many blogs/vlogs/podcasts in a manner consistent with specific industry or company policies is much easier than coordinating multiple one-off publisher relationships on your own.
For example, if your agency or client wants a specific disclosure tagline such as "This feedback was sponsored by X, but the opinions are all mine" -- PPP's review process can help make sure it happens and avoid do-it-yourself mistakes.
Thanks for the coverage Chris.
Posted by: VC Dan | January 1, 2007 09:46 PM
The blogosphere is about developing relationships, not producing profits. Bloggers who use the blogsophere mainly or solely for additional income, as Colleen Caldwell from the Sentinel article does, should not be considered credible or reliable, even for product promotions. Even though the blogger must now identify involvement with pay per post, I find it distasteful and manipulative. Thank you for highlighting this important, evolving issue.
Posted by: Jessica Hoffmann | January 16, 2007 01:19 PM