Blog Disclosures

Blog Disclosures

In the past couple of months, we’ve been constantly getting invitations from local companies and interest groups to meet with them, visit their offices and possibly write about their services or products in our blog. This seemed a little new to me but it looks like there’s growing awareness of the blogosphere and how it effects perception on their products/services (even in a minuscule way).

I ~~know~~ heard this kind of arrangement is common among journalists who get to travel and bring home freebies from conferences and product launches in the hopes of getting favorable write-ups. Connie was actually pointing this out to me that one travel/lifestyle journalist had a note at the end of her article stating “Wanna be featured here? Contact me!”

Anyway, I’m not generalizing here or implying anything. I just though that while journalists are guided by their code of ethics or something, bloggers don’t have one. Still, like the issue on the Pay Per Post, bloggers should have some sort of disclosure clause added to their About section or something.

I think it’s good to have one — state your affiliations with companies, businesses you are involved with, or partnerships with other people or bloggers. That way, you are clear to write (read: pimp) about them since you’ve already declared your interests.

Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

https://www.yugatech.com

8 Comments

JC John SESE Cuneta says:

18 years ago

It is very true. I’ve witnessed and was involved in such activities during my work in the gaming industry. As much as I don’t like it, but that’s how the game/competition works.
- Reply
noemi says:

18 years ago

I have been recently contacted by an events organizer to be a media partner (through my business) for an upcoming conference because they were impressed with the photos and writeup I did for a past event. They want me to continue writing about it and I agreed. If ever I will write about that particular event or service, I will make sure it’s clearly stated in my blog.
- Reply
The Ca t says:

18 years ago

yugs,
the practice on the part of the company falls under their sales promotion and advertising strategies, print particularly.

The credibility of the informercial is a non-disclosure of the deals made behind the camera or computer as you may say.

As to the blogger, it is just like stepping in the shoes of journalists who act as unofficial public relations officers/”pimp” for some celebrities/business establishments as part of their moonlighting paychecks that come in envelopes.

If i remember right, I discuss this with Connie years back pero that time people are not sold to the effectiveness of blog as a medium for promotion until Google shows them how.
- Reply
jhay says:

18 years ago

Hmm…good point. But isn’t there a “Blogger’s Code of Ethics” page on the PCIJ Blog? That’s a good start for adopting a standard “code of ethics” for bloggers.
- Reply
Mita says:

18 years ago

That’s very common practise in Philippine lifestyle journalism/advertising. I used to work for a restaurant group and we’d have special spreads whenever we had print, or tv journalists coming over. If we had a new menu or promo coming out, we’d contact the writers themselves or the lifestyle editors. If you’re in the business, you really have to curry the favor of these editors and writers. There’s remembering their birthdays and sending some really good stuff on Christmas. I also worked the other end of advertising (broadcast) and it was the same thing, you negotiate some advertising time with barter deals of products you can use in the course of your business…e.g. airline tickets.

As far as regular advertising, that can be full-barter or fifty/fifty…anything that can be bartered will be bartered in advertising.
- Reply
Connie says:

18 years ago

Blogger na yun, Yuga.
- Reply