One of the unintended outcomes of this blog has been that restaurants and other companies have contacted me to offer free meals or products, I assume in exchange for a review/plug on my blog (This condition hasn’t been explicitly stated in any of the offers). Such propositions don’t exactly pour in, but I have been surprised to receive the offers that I have. Thus far, I have not taken anyone up on it. In fact, the first time someone emailed me to ask them to be their guest at their restaurant, I deleted the email, thinking it fishy. I have since learned that this sort of thing is pretty commonplace in the food blogging community.
When I review a restaurant, bar, or product on this blog, I have paid for it with my own money, received nothing in return, and the review should be considered as true and pristine as freshly fallen snow on the butt of a newborn baby. Or something like that. (I should also mention when I blog about cool products that I don’t actually own, I am not doing it at another party’s behest–these are just products I happen to come across on various websites.)
I must say, if I were ever to accept one of these invitations for free products or meals, I would still review the product in an honest, warts-and-all, manner, if I even chose to review the product at all. I would, of course, also disclose the fact that this was a freebie in my review.
I lean toward continuing to not accept such offers, but what do you think? Would this sully your opinion of my reviews? Or am I crazy to refuse, as long as I adhere to the tenets of disclosure and honesty?
Please let us know what you think by commenting below (comments are working now, btw).
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January 14th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
I think it is OK to accept the offer as long you make this clear in your review and you don’t sugarcoat your posting. And the restaurant should be some place that you might reasonably patronize (not the Olive Garden in Albany) but we’re either unaware of it or hadn’t made the trip yet.
January 20th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
I agree with Cweb, right down to the Olive Garden in Albany. Shudder.
February 8th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
I agree with Cweb. Just like the ads on the side of this website are not products you endorse, I think people understand that a talented and objective critic such as you can give and honest and thorough review.
February 19th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
I agree with you completely. If I got it for free or I was treated to a special meal, I let my readers know. Check out my post on the same topic.
http://whitetrashbbq.blogspot.com/2009/01/truth-in-advertising.html