The New York Times article “When Is a Free Meal Just Part of a Writer’s Job?” has me thinking about bloggers being given freebies in exchange for a review. (Check out the article to read the story on the free food, catered by chefs, that Time columnist Josh Ozersky received for his wedding – he says the food was gifts from his friends – then read his column about about the event in Time.)
Recently, I asked another food blogger this question, really to get some advice because I’ve gotten a few emails about trying products and writing about them. (My favorite was from an energy bar company that wanted to offer me a 10 percent discount, or about $2 off in exchange for a review. Even a cheapskate like me wasn’t tempted by this one!)
This blogger told me the few times she’s accepted freebies, she makes sure she is not obligated to write about the product. Then if she does write about it, she acknowledges how she obtained it to her readers. This sounds perfectly logical to me.
Except are we obligated to tell our readers the truth, good or bad?
In April, Adam Roberts, the Amateur Gourmet, wrote a post about the free Vitamix he received (well actually, it was about New York Times writer Kim Severson’s new book Spoon Fed; the Vitamix was just an intro to the post). Severson was at his residence when the Vitamix was delivered. Roberts said he would write about the Vitamix if he liked it; Severson said he also had a responsibility to write about it if he didn’t like it.
I haven’t been in the freebie situation yet, but honestly that’s not because of ethics. I would have taken a free chocolate class and then written about it if the dates had worked out. I would have acknowledged that I took the class for free, and if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t have written about it. I’ve always thought freebies like this, as long as writers are upfront with readers, is a fun benefit to blogging, which so many of us do for free because we love it.
What do you think? Bloggers, have you ever been given freebies in exchange for a review? Have you ever written a negative review about a freebie? Readers, what do you think about reading reviews of products that bloggers got for free if they’re upfront about it? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
And happy 4th of July! Enjoy the holiday weekend.
I don’t see anything wrong with accepting free samples or a free service if the provider is willing. The provider offers their product knowing that it’s for the possibility for something good to come of it. It’s the promise… much like an intern will work for free, in hopes of gaining experience and maybe a possible job offer. These free offerings are agreed upon and allow for exposure, and hopefully good press.
With that being said, I don’t think I would ever write a negative response to someone who offered something for free… I couldn’t do that to someone who just “gifted” you something. I would just choose to respectfully not write anything at all… because writing a false positive review would be misleading and unfair to your readers.
I ignore all the freebies and stick to recipes. My goal isn’t to be a product tester/reviewer. I definitely think bloggers should disclose anything that’s given to them for free and be absolutely honest
about the product’s value (or lack of value).
On 990 Square, I’ve kept just to recipes and my life experiences, which seems to work well for me. I have a whole other online presence on Amazon, where I’ve been a member of the Amazon Vine program for 2 years. I have to review stuff there, but we don’t have to write positive reviews, and the reviews are clearly posted with a “this is a Vine review”. So it seems fair.
Kenny, Mary, and Beth, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! I’ve been curious about the freebie question, so it’s nice to read what other people have to say about it. Have a great 4th of July!
I get samples all the time. I post my reviewing policy right on my blog and I always state when I’ve received something from a company.
In my career as a magazine editor, I received tons of freebies, from products to trips. I don’t think people realize how much magazine content is actually influenced by samples and press junkets. It’s too bad, because in the end, people really want honest reviews.
Madame Yum Yum, thanks for sharing! That’s a good point about magazines, and not something I’ve thought too much about. I guess each magazine has a different policy, but I wonder how much they are influenced? Also, great idea to post your reviewing policy on your blog. I think being upfront is the way to go.
Jen, my thoughts on this question are completely theoretical as I’ve never been asked to review products. But I think that if someone has been given a product then that fact needs to be disclosed in any review.
I would hope that bloggers would provide an honest assessment of a product regardless of whether it was free or not. Even if they didn’t love it, I think it is responsible to say what it was that didn’t work for them. A perceived design flaw to me may not even register to someone else. Or our personal preferences could be completely different. What I’m saying is that just because I don’t like x doesn’t mean you won’t love it.
So far, I think I’ve maybe talked about a handful of things/tools/gadgets on my blog. When I do, I try and make it perfectly clear that I’m talking about something that I own and love using.
Wendi, thanks for your input! I think you’re right, and the more I think about it, most blogs I read do have freebie policies. Or when the bloggers post about a free product, they acknowledge that they received it for free.
Also, that’s a good point that everyone has different products that work for them. I like the solution of writing a “negative” review in “you” terms.