Ethics

Are Food Writers Privileged? I Am

April 14, 2015 by diannejacob 59 Comments

Here I am, eating bonbons all day as a sponsored writer.

There’s been lots of talk on my blog lately about money and food blogging. (See post about Adam Roberts and Amy Sherman’s post.)

But one thing people don’t talk about is the privilege of being a food writer, where earning money is a secondary ambition for many – not because they’re hobbyists, but because they don’t have to earn a living.

A story on Salon about obfuscating the circumstances that let us write [Read more…] about Are Food Writers Privileged? I Am

You Got a Free Cookbook! Now What?

April 7, 2015 by diannejacob 23 Comments

Publishers send lots of cookbooks to food bloggers, hoping for publicity. If you choose to write about a book, they might supply images and recipes. If you’re not going to write about it, they might say: how about a shoutout on social media?

Do you owe them something in exchange for this free book? If so, what?

This is an area of confusion for many food bloggers. You want to be nice and do the right thing. But understand that, first of all, you owe them nothing.

Even if you requested a book, you are entitled to read it and decide not to [Read more…] about You Got a Free Cookbook! Now What?

Amateur Gourmet Shocks Fans with an Announcement

March 10, 2015 by diannejacob 58 Comments

Adam Roberts of Amateur Gourmet was on fire last week in the media, due to two events that reverberated on social media.

Last week Adam Roberts of Amateur Gourmet led the news among food bloggers with two major online events. On his blog, he stunned fans by announcing that his advertising income has dropped so far that he can’t make a [Read more…] about Amateur Gourmet Shocks Fans with an Announcement

Are Sponsored Press Trips Worth Your While?

February 18, 2015 by diannejacob 34 Comments

“The author compromises her impartiality in Bordeaux, France.”

A guest post by Pam Mandel

“Oh, I want to go on press trips!”

I hear this frequently from newer bloggers. I get it. It’s so appealing to have someone else pick up the tab for your hotel, your meals, entrances fees, all the stuff of travel. When you’re writing for your own blog, there’s the added benefit of working without an editor who has veto power. You go on an all expenses paid trip, you write what you want, everyone’s happy. Right? Not always.

1. What’s a press trip anyway?

Let’s define “press trip” — sometimes called a junket or a FAM, short for familiarization — first. For this discussion, I mean a trip where media travels under the guidance of a public relations wrangler. Everything is arranged in advance. It’s usually a group tour at an [Read more…] about Are Sponsored Press Trips Worth Your While?

Confusion Among Bloggers on Disclosing Compensation

December 16, 2014 by diannejacob 61 Comments

A gift is considered to have cash value.

When a food blogger gets free stuff, it is payment in kind, which is considered compensation.

You know those disclaimers at the end of blog posts, when food bloggers write about a product or service and say whether they were compensated?

I’ve noticed some confusion (or should we call it denial?) about what constitutes payment.

There are two kinds of payment: cash payment and “paid in kind,” which means a company gives you goods or services for free. That could be [Read more…] about Confusion Among Bloggers on Disclosing Compensation

Thug Kitchen Draws Fans and Ire

October 28, 2014 by diannejacob 102 Comments

Thug Kitchen co-authors Michelle Davis and Matt Holloway. Their blog led to a cookbook with incredible sales this month. (Photo courtesy of Sean Neild.)

Paging through a new cookbook never fails to thrill me. So when I got a copy of Thug Kitchen as a gift while attending the Food Bloggers of Canada annual conference, I put my feet up for a few minutes to take a look. It’s a vegan cookbook with great recipes and gorgeous [Read more…] about Thug Kitchen Draws Fans and Ire

It’s Official: Readers Don’t Like Sponsored Posts

September 23, 2014 by diannejacob 86 Comments

Are readers of online content comfortable with sponsored posts? According to a new study, no. Most are confused and feel deceived.

Sponsored posts, for those not in the know, is also known as advertorial or native advertising. In our field, it means a company has paid (in cash or in kind) a blogger or website writer to write an endorsement. It must be disclosed as such, according to the FTC.

I first questioned writing content in exchange for pay or [Read more…] about It’s Official: Readers Don’t Like Sponsored Posts