technoculture203-09

Blogging and what products bloggers choose to endorse should be ideally influenced by nothing but the own bloggers perception of how great the product is. But really when a blogger earns hardly any money from what they blog, dangle a carrot in front of them and of course they are going to take those extra few dollars to pay their rent. The whole premise of blogging is that we are giving an alternative to the news corporations which are highly invested in from outside forces, and giving a voice to the Joe Bloggs who isn’t paid to say that they love the XT network (when really how many times is Richard Hammond going to use a Telecom phone??) and instead is entrusted to say they really did find the best lip gloss.* Rachel Zoe, a controversial figure in Hollywood has even put an Editorial Policy on her webpage saying "Never in a million years would we accept money (or Barneys giftcards) in exchange for editorial endorsement. That would be bananas. The bad kind.” By saying this openly, she is building her reputation as a serious, trustworthy blogger. America has paved the way for this premise of honest and uninfluenced reporting to be an actual reality, the Federal Trade Commission, a very major and important regulator - "decided to approve new rules to stop independent bloggers from hiding their links to advertisers." Absolutely amazing, this in theory should stop all bloggers from endorsing the overpriced-good-for-nothing products and instead give praise where it’s well deserved. But really is such a law going to work, when in New Zealand we have a law to 'stop' all illegal downloading. Yet in class its obvious there’s quite a few participating in this "illegal activity". So are we all criminals? I guess by law we are, by I don't feel like one so that makes it all okay. And morally if bloggers want to brought and lose that reputation of honesty and trustworthiness, than I guess readers will just have to accept it.

*Best Lip Gloss: Isabella Pelle; Even does free shipping worldwide!