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I made an addition to the definition of social publisher this morning after reading, “Bloging Moms Wooed By Food Firms” in The LA Times.
When you see press releases like this, it’s easy to understand why some folks might be upset with the Mommy Bloggers.
In the past I’ve tried to make it clear that a social publisher is not a blogger. Anyone can be a blogger. Bloggers are a lot like Anonymous. They’re a vast, amorphous assembly, not quite a group, with no defining detail beyond their blog. Anonymous usually has some kind of goal,when it exists, even if that goal is just to mock you. Bloggers don’t.
If you ask a blogger what they define as a successful blog, be prepared to waste three hours of your life sifting through the different responses.
The LA Times article points out some are criticizing Mommy Bloggers for giving food companies free advertising , and the new FTC guidelines are not enough to stop this behavior.
Since Mommy Bloggers are the third most powerful group behind celebrities and political bloggers, this is a pretty serious charge but nothing new. You will have to read the article and draw your own conclusion.
I try to avoid any discussion having to do with the Mommy Bloggers unless it affects us. Should Mom be blogging about her kids without their approval? Should Mom accept products for review and use it on her kids turning them into advertisements? I don’t know. It’s not a discussion I want to have.
The Mommy Blogger debate is like getting sucked into an ethical vortex where everyone comes out covered with baby shit. I’m just happy my Mom doesn’t know how to use Facebook, let alone blog.
So none of you go and teach her, ok?
I will say, a lot of bloggers, not just the Mommy Bloggers, are guilty of this unethical behavior. The difference is, other bloggers are not as visible or hold as much power, so Mommy Bloggers unfairly bear the brunt of the criticism.
The Social Publisher Definition Addition (Say That Six Times)
A social publisher is someone using social publishing to create a financially successful and honest career. Unlike Bloggers, social publishers adhere to the same ethical guidelines journalists and the traditional media are held to.
I’m putting it out on the table now. If you’re going to call yourself a social publisher, you need to adhere to the same rules real journalists do. I know they haven’t exactly lived up to these standards but we should.
A social publisher must adhere to the Society Of Professional Journalists Code Of Ethics. This little addition just makes it more clear as to how we should be honest in talking with our readers. This way, they know what they’re getting and can hold you to an easily definable standard, and you have guidelines to follow that will, ultimately, put you in the position to create better posts.
Some day, I hope to see Social Publishers become a large enough group that when stuff like this runs in the paper, we can say, “Yeah. We don’t do that. We follow the same standards you do Mr. Reporter, now eat it.”
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