Must read for American bloggers:

MMM · (#1 (**permalink**))

If you are a blogger and do reviews, then the rules are going to change a bit for you in December.

Blogger-Endorsers Must Disclose Their Freebies - The Two-Way - Breaking News, Analysis Blog : NPR

Quailboy · (#2 (**permalink**))

This is..unexpected to say the least >_>

darksyndrem · (#3 (**permalink**))

Weird....not really sure I understand this entirely though

MMM · (#4 (**permalink**))

Basically it means that if review something you got for free, then you have to expressly and clearly say, "I didn't buy this video game, but got a free copy from the publisher".

It's an attempt to separate the dying print media with online media, specifically bloggers.

Quailboy · (#5 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMM

Basically it means that if review something you got for free, then you have to expressly and clearly say, "I didn't buy this video game, but got a free copy from the publisher".

It's an attempt to separate the dying print media with online media, specifically bloggers.

But I don't really see the problem with that, what's wrong with getting rid of obsulete (sp?) print information?

darksyndrem · (#6 (**permalink**))

Hmm...doesn't sound like a bad thing for the bloggers?

MMM · (#7 (**permalink**))

It's an attempt by the FTC to support print media by making bloggers publicly acknowledge they are not "professional" that are held to a "journalistic standard" like (supposedly) news media are. Essentially since blogging is DIY media, therefore a blogger is an "amateur" who may be lured by freebies to endorse certain products. Basically a bloggers motives are suspect, and that is NOT a good thing.

darksyndrem · (#8 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMM

It's an attempt by the FTC to support print media by making bloggers publicly acknowledge they are not "professional" that are held to a "journalistic standard" like (supposedly) news media are. Essentially since blogging is DIY media, therefore a blogger is an "amateur" who may be lured by freebies to endorse certain products. Basically a bloggers motives are suspect, and that is NOT a good thing.

I see....that seems...quite ridiculous

Aether · (#9 (**permalink**))

And freedom of the internet gets progressively less free.

trunker · (#10 (**permalink**))

not necessarily,....

next time you go looking for reviews of something you want to buy, do a google search and you'll find many more blogs sponsored by corporates in some way than you did before. "flogs" if you've heard of the term.

i dont think its an attempt to help print media, or to denigrate the contribution bloggers make, but its just something to clear the air as it were. good bloggers are journalists in every sense of the word.

the point is to target the flogs, for example, if you want to buy a brand new computer and go onto cnet and they highly recommend say dells over anything, and you see a massive dell banner advert then you know they might be just a bit biased.

but you may not get that with a regular blogger, who says something like "sony sent me this dvd player to review",... ok but do you have to send it back? of is it yours to keep?

if its his to keep, for free, then i know his review is possibly tainted by his desire to keep getting free stuff from sony. its no different than cnet and their dell advert.

but as i said, good bloggers are journalists and professional and they know what they need to do to keep their reading public happy,....

this is just legislation for the stupid, ie people who believe that just cos you blog about something you are automatically an independent writer not connected to any big corporate sponsor.

in general its a good thing but i cant see it being enforced on a regular basis.