Please Stop Offering Me Money
Companies keep offering me money if I'll promote their company in this blog. That really annoys me, because this blog isn't paid content. I'm keeping it clean of outside influence, not just because it's in my contract, but I figure that there's more than enough content on the web that's got a hidden agenda. I'm writing what I truly believe... not what some PR bozo is paying me to say.
I'm not some "sales expert" flogging a book or a series of seminars. I'm not promoting my own "stuff" and I'm sure as hell not going to promote yours. In any case, as a journalist, I'm obligated to follow a code of ethics, specifically:
- Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
- Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.
- Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment.
- Disclose unavoidable conflicts.
- Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable.
- Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests.
The whole point of this blog is that I'm here to TELL YOU THE TRUTH -- even if it means sticking one in the eye of companies who might otherwise want hire me. And don't kid yourself, I've burnt some major bridges with this puppy.
By the way, today I'm at the conference of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW) where Sales Machine and BNET are both winning "Best In Business" (BIB) awards. Since the organization is mostly newspaper types, I'm likely to be one of the only "online" guys around.