A recent National Geographic article questions the transparency of travel bloggers who accept perks in exchange for favourable reviews. These perks can range from free airfare, hotel rooms, meals and admission to city attractions.
“Bloggers don’t have a standardized set of ethics,” says blogging expert Alexander Halavais of Quinnipiac University. “You might trust something you read in a magazine because you have faith in the news organization. But when it comes to blogs, the trust is often tied up with the person.” As a result, you may be accepting tainted advice from your favorite blog without even knowing it.
True, it’s not like bloggers have any ethical standards to which they need to abide. But it certainly helps your credibility by disclosing any bribes handed out by the company you happen to be fondly reviewing. Tainted advice, in any shade of grey, is not cool.
As for the blog readers researching their next trip, the article offers sound advice:
In an era of product placements, where advertisers can buy their way into movies and TV morning shows, sponsored blogs are only going to increase. The consumer’s best defense is to take a skeptic’s view of blogs (and other media, for that matter). Don’t base big decisions on one piece of advice. Be your own reporter and check out other sources. Your next vacation may depend on it.
Read the full article.
What are some “red flags” you find when reading questionable travel reviews? Please share your tips in the comments.
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3 Comments... join the discussion!
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I wish someone would offer me free holidays in return for blogging!
I’m joking of course, but I used to offer a service where I would blog about travel companies for a small charge, but I quickly dropped that idea, when I felt it was unethical to blog about companies without witnessing their service or product for myself.So, if I use a company, I blog about them, good or bad.
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I agree with the comment of taking everything with a grain of salt, but setting blogger ethics separate from other travel writers is a bit strong. There are good travel writers out there, and poor ones – among both bloggers and traditional mags/websites. MANY, Many writers ask for and accept discounts/freebies, and few mention it in stories.
There MAY be a codified set of journalistic ethics for travel writers (SATW would be one organization), however not all travel writers/editors in traditional magazines/ newspapers follow the SAME rules. Yet many solid travel stories result.
I used to work in the PR office of a regional CVB (Convention and Visitors Bureau). Most travel writers (freelancers and those on staff at magazines) requested whatever we could make available to them free or at a lower rate. And very few mentioned in the eventual story that the museum ticket, or meal was free or discounted.
The ethical use of this was up to the writer and their editor. Then again – we could not require them to write a positive story. If they hated the food/hotel/museum they could say so, most often they left that venue that left a “bad taste in their mouth” out of the piece.
A few of the larger magazines would come incognito, and we would never know they had visited until we read the story. A few others contacted us prior to their visits, and wanted our assistance in making contact with museums, gardens, restaurants and hotels, and offered to pay for them (a few were Required to pay full price for everything).
Most writers/publications asked for freebies, and depending on their track record, and avaiabliity of the item requested, they did or did not receive them. Track record meaning – did the freelancer have a story assignment with an editor (on spec, accepted), Are tehy a staff writer, what’s the reputation of the publication, etc.
We also had scam artists try and wheedle free trips out of us; but the word gets around in the industry about those folks fairly quickly.
Am not with CVB now, so I don’t know how they handle travel bloggers today. But it’s not just bloggers who accept stuff and don’t disclose it.
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