The appeal of free stuff: Gifts or bribes?
Receiving a gift is always a welcome surprise. After all, who doesn't love free stuff? This may explain why there are so many holidays, birthdays and other festivities that warrant buying gifts. But when it comes to the media, giving gifts as a journalist usually results in more trouble in the ethics department than it's worth.
Newspaper reviews of books and movies have a long history; however, with the rapid development of technology and ease of access, modern journalism has ushered in a new type of journalist: the technological editor. Tech news is on the rise, with mediums focused solely on social media as a source of information, with some newspapers devoting entire pages to tech news to address the increasing demands of their readers. Namely, product reviews have always been a big part of the said pages, with editors sharing their expert opinions on smart phones, the latest PC gadgets, game consoles, cameras and so on. These reviews examine every aspect of these techy gadgets, which are being upgraded or unveiled quicker than the editor can finish writing a product review. To keep up with demand and write a thorough review of every one of these gadgets would likely require a newspaper to revise its entire budget just to be able to afford to buy every tech product when it comes out. With this new reality on the minds of readers and tech corporations alike, a new relationship between the two is budding and appears to be beneficial for both.
Companies used to send their review copies to editors, and their views would be shared with readers via publication on newspaper pages. For companies that believed in their products, this was an excellent way to gain public attention and good press. Of course, there were numerous cases of negative publicity as well, in which case companies would stop releasing product reviews to the press. These private companies were well within their rights to do so, and as a result, they saw very little press directed at their new or upcoming products. However, a working system slowly came into motion. With private companies holding onto their review copies, they began to see the information as a gift. Tech editors who accepted these gifts were always adamant about their unbiased approach, insisting that receiving a company's product and accepting it as a gift did not affect their judgment as journalists. However, it is important to remember that public opinion is the only thing that matters as far as credibility is concerned. With the premise of an expensive tech gadget being given as a gift to editors who were responsible for publishing "spotless" reviews, the word bribe comes to mind rather quickly. While the technical aspect is relatively new, the ethical status of paid press tours has long been discussed and considered unethical, as it divides the loyalty of the journalist and damages impartiality. Tech editors should return the products they receive after writing the reviews -- even if the companies have given them the gadgets as gifts. A firmer policy in this regard would only strengthen the credibility of the newspaper and help its reputation as a trusted review platform. Considering that it is the job of a journalist to provide accurate, unbiased information, at the end of the day, refusing to accept free stuff should be an easy decision.
One last thing worth mentioning is that bloggers and vloggers are some of the biggest players in the review business. The subject is also a cause of debate on those platforms as well, and two approaches to the issue are easy to recognize. The first of these refers to journalists who do not keep the gifts they receive, especially if the products are above a certain price range. There is no standard to that price range, though, and it varies. The second category refers to those who have no qualms in accepting gifts and keeping them – not before disclosing their commitment to retaining the trust of their readers and viewers, of course. Considering that the ethical guidelines of blogging are still in the stages of infancy compared to the ethical guidelines of newspapers, tech editors should hold themselves to higher standards.
Newspaper reviews of books and movies have a long history; however, with the rapid development of technology and ease of access, modern journalism has ushered in a new type of journalist: the technological editor. Tech news is on the rise, with mediums focused solely on social media as a source of information, with some newspapers devoting entire pages to tech news to address the increasing demands of their readers. Namely, product reviews have always been a big part of the said pages, with editors sharing their expert opinions on smart phones, the latest PC gadgets, game consoles, cameras and so on. These reviews examine every aspect of these techy gadgets, which are being upgraded or unveiled quicker than the editor can finish writing a product review. To keep up with demand and write a thorough review of every one of these gadgets would likely require a newspaper to revise its entire budget just to be able to afford to buy every tech product when it comes out. With this new reality on the minds of readers and tech corporations alike, a new relationship between the two is budding and appears to be beneficial for both.
Companies used to send their review copies to editors, and their views would be shared with readers via publication on newspaper pages. For companies that believed in their products, this was an excellent way to gain public attention and good press. Of course, there were numerous cases of negative publicity as well, in which case companies would stop releasing product reviews to the press. These private companies were well within their rights to do so, and as a result, they saw very little press directed at their new or upcoming products. However, a working system slowly came into motion. With private companies holding onto their review copies, they began to see the information as a gift. Tech editors who accepted these gifts were always adamant about their unbiased approach, insisting that receiving a company's product and accepting it as a gift did not affect their judgment as journalists. However, it is important to remember that public opinion is the only thing that matters as far as credibility is concerned. With the premise of an expensive tech gadget being given as a gift to editors who were responsible for publishing "spotless" reviews, the word bribe comes to mind rather quickly. While the technical aspect is relatively new, the ethical status of paid press tours has long been discussed and considered unethical, as it divides the loyalty of the journalist and damages impartiality. Tech editors should return the products they receive after writing the reviews -- even if the companies have given them the gadgets as gifts. A firmer policy in this regard would only strengthen the credibility of the newspaper and help its reputation as a trusted review platform. Considering that it is the job of a journalist to provide accurate, unbiased information, at the end of the day, refusing to accept free stuff should be an easy decision.
One last thing worth mentioning is that bloggers and vloggers are some of the biggest players in the review business. The subject is also a cause of debate on those platforms as well, and two approaches to the issue are easy to recognize. The first of these refers to journalists who do not keep the gifts they receive, especially if the products are above a certain price range. There is no standard to that price range, though, and it varies. The second category refers to those who have no qualms in accepting gifts and keeping them – not before disclosing their commitment to retaining the trust of their readers and viewers, of course. Considering that the ethical guidelines of blogging are still in the stages of infancy compared to the ethical guidelines of newspapers, tech editors should hold themselves to higher standards.