News & views | There are bloggers and bloggers . . .

News & views

There are bloggers and bloggers . . .

A follow-up to yesterday’s post following a particularly animated discussion on Twitter the main gist of which is that you can’t tar all bloggers with the same brush. Some will grab every freebie going. Some will discriminate and retain their detachment.

What doesn’t get said often enough is that bloggers are different - just as paid journaists are. There’s a world of difference between a national critic whose paper pays for his/her meals and a local restaurant reviewer in a small town who has to live with the restaurateurs he/she reviews - and may even have to accept their hospitality.

Some bloggers like Jeanne Horak-Druiff and Daniel Young have been writing for years “before freebies even existed” some have just started. There may be a good 10 years of experience - and 15-20 years of age - between them. You can’t expect the younger ones to hit the ground running, talented though some of them are.

Some are more professional than others. Many come from high-flying professional or business backgrounds and find blogging a release for their more creative side. (See this earlier post about what motivates food bloggers) They’re used to acquiring training to improve their skills which is why they go to photography workshops (could do with one myself) and events like Food Blogger Connect (above).

The interesting thought is what happens to the established bloggers going forward. As they become more confident, more critical, less willing to buy into whatever freebie is going will they be perceived as less useful by PRs? If a PR can get a dozen reviews for an event or restaurant to show a client, are they going to worry too much about how big or influential a following a blog has particularly if the review crops up on the first couple of pages of Google? It’s all about noise.

PRs will never diss the big boys (and girls) of the national press. They can’t afford to do without them so they cultivate them assiduously. But they can - and seemingly do - discriminate against ‘tricky’ customers (like me, apparently) who write as they find, regardless of whether they get invited back. Human but wrong-headed, in my opinion.

When I was in PR (shock horror revelation!) long before the days of blogging and the internet we had to know all about our 'opinion formers' and what might interest and appeal to them. We didn't expect immediate results in terms of coverage - we were in it for the long term. Just sayin' . . .

 

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Comments: 5 (Add)

Chris Berry - Scrumptious Scran on March 31 2014 at 21:13

I think it's healthy that the debate about "freebies" and food journalism is being aired - and I do count blogging as a form of journalism. I've been blogging for less than 12 months and already frequently get approached by PRs - which is interesting, given that's my professional background too. There are two principles I always stick to in terms of writing about "products" (including restaurants) I have been made aware of by PRs: to always be completely objective in my assessment; and if anything is free of charge, be explicit about this in the review or copy.

It is interesting, though, that this controversy has come to light in terms of blogging. After all, it would be difficult for major food magazines to cover the breadth of subject matter they do without being made aware of new products, and I would imagine that these quite often involve them being sent samples of these for free...

Fiona Beckett on March 21 2014 at 11:15

I know many bloggers feel as passionately about food as you clearly do, Marie but I still feel slightly uneasy about the extent to which PRs are now using bloggers to get their message across. Just carrying on doing what you love!

Marie From The English Kitchen on March 17 2014 at 09:04

I am one of those bloggers who frequently gets sent "freebies" to review. Getting freebies is not why I started my blog about 6 years ago now, nor why I keep blogging. I would blog about food, what I cook and what I eat no matter what people send me. The freebies happen to be a happy by product of my passion for all things food related. I have to say I have never "trolled" for freebies, nor have I accepted payment for a review as many do. And I am always HONEST in my findings. If something is crap, or difficult to use, or poor value for money, I will say so. And I always show how I have used the item (s) by having created a recipe to go with it etc. I blog because I love food. End of. I am not in it for the glory or the freebies. I am in it because of my passion for food and desire to share that passion with others.

Fiona Beckett on March 16 2014 at 16:04

Thanks, Sally - some good points. Yes, it definitely goes on in other fields but I do wonder how much time people who are less interested in the food scene devote to evaluating whether reviews are truly impartial. Presumably why PRs chase coverage from whatever quarter?

Sally - My Custard Pie on March 16 2014 at 11:26

You put into words everything I was thinking about since I read the (very badly researched) article in the Independent. The handful of food critics who can give their honest and at time scathing opinions are read for their entertaining prose as much as a guide to the outlets they are visiting (most restaurant reviews for the nationals are based in London). What about provincial papers who have to rely on advertising? They are unlikely to write an excoriating account about a potential source of revenue. I know that this happens here in Dubai where supposedly unbiased reviews (on and offline) are tempered.
It does seem to be food bloggers who get all the flack too. What about the numerous travel bloggers who give up their lives to travel round the world for free? Fashion bloggers receive mountains of stuff too.
The underestimation of readers from those who are critical is concerning too. If a blog is full of glowing reviews of places where they have eaten for free (and most do declare when it has been complimentary) most people are sensible enough not to use it as a guide. The internet is full of reviews with self-interest - from the fake ones on Amazon to boost friend's book sales to damaging ones on Trip Adviser written by competitors. We all navigate our way through this dearth of information and draw different conclusions.

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