Comments on: The law, ethics & effectiveness of PR firms offering bloggers prizes-to-post http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2011/04/20/ethical-illegal-ineffective-pr-firms-offering-bloggers-prizes-to-post/ A conversation. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:46:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Freelance Unbound» Blog Archive Is offering bribes to bloggers any different from old-style PR sweeteners for journalists? | http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2011/04/20/ethical-illegal-ineffective-pr-firms-offering-bloggers-prizes-to-post/#comment-18321 Freelance Unbound» Blog Archive Is offering bribes to bloggers any different from old-style PR sweeteners for journalists? | Wed, 27 Apr 2011 11:08:27 +0000 http://onlinejournalismblog.com/?p=13692#comment-18321 [...] Bradshaw has a timely post here on the legal position of bloggers who accept payment or other incentives to post content on behalf of brands or other [...] [...] Bradshaw has a timely post here on the legal position of bloggers who accept payment or other incentives to post content on behalf of brands or other [...]

]]> By: Soilman http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2011/04/20/ethical-illegal-ineffective-pr-firms-offering-bloggers-prizes-to-post/#comment-18317 Soilman Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:15:10 +0000 http://onlinejournalismblog.com/?p=13692#comment-18317 I'm offered payment for 'guest posts' all the time. They usually come with specific instructions about the precise wording, what I may or may not edit etc. Other offers are even less 'advertorial': If I give 'em a plug (undisclosed, naturally), they'll pay. Somebody must be taking up these offers, or I wouldn't keep getting them. Trouble is, the whole web is infected with this stuff – to an even greater extent than print was/is. It's even worse behind the scenes of the actual content: advertisers pay media companies to distribute cookies to users that track their web habits and IDs and 'phone home' to the advertiser... with all the predictable consequences for loss of privacy and misuse of personal data that are inevitable (and, BTW, incredible widespread). To be concerned about payment-for-content in this sort of environment feels like swatting mosquitoes while ignoring the tiger. I’m offered payment for ‘guest posts’ all the time. They usually come with specific instructions about the precise wording, what I may or may not edit etc.

Other offers are even less ‘advertorial’: If I give ‘em a plug (undisclosed, naturally), they’ll pay. Somebody must be taking up these offers, or I wouldn’t keep getting them.

Trouble is, the whole web is infected with this stuff – to an even greater extent than print was/is. It’s even worse behind the scenes of the actual content: advertisers pay media companies to distribute cookies to users that track their web habits and IDs and ‘phone home’ to the advertiser… with all the predictable consequences for loss of privacy and misuse of personal data that are inevitable (and, BTW, incredible widespread).

To be concerned about payment-for-content in this sort of environment feels like swatting mosquitoes while ignoring the tiger.

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