Social Media Hot Tub

Disclosure may simply be good social media practice

Jack Shafer has a problem. In his post earlier this week for Slate, Shafer takes issue with the FTC’s new disclosure rules for bloggers, calling them “preposterous.” Simply stated, if a blogger is writing about a product or service he or she has received free of charge, that arrangement now needs to be clearly identified to the audience. The presumption, of course, is that a blogger’s review could possibly be swayed by the free schwag.

In editorial circles, it’s called payola. And in ethical editorial circles, it’s not tolerated. So why does Shafer have a problem? (more…)