Originally posted 2009-10-20 06:44:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
There are some noises going on about reviewers needing to disclose whether a product they review has been given to them free of charge or if the reviewer is paid to do the review.
The source of the concern on the part of the FTC is that there are many sites and people who are telling folks that you can get anything you want by requesting it for review. And I do mean “anything” – TVs, appliances, computers, lots of stuff.
And people have been taking advantage of this.
It’s an extension of how things have always worked in the book world. Reviewers get copies of books in advance, they read them and then review them. Nobody assumes they are biased and they aren’t.
For the publisher this is good because reviews sell books and people like to know something about the book before they buy it. If the reviewer didn’t get those free advance copies before the book is published, those reviews wouldn’t be there.
Old-school reviewers (and I’m definitely in this camp) see there job as journalists. They want to let you know about the book or product so you can make an informed choice.
In the world of needlepoint, this role is even more important. No shop can carry every product and without reviews and coverage of products how would you know what is out there and how to use it.
I ask for and continue to ask for products and books to review for many reasons. First, I test the products so I can tell you how to use them. I only ask for samples of small amounts of items to test. Second, I want you to know how to adapt something which doesn’t look as if it could be for needlepoint. Without the product in hand, how can I know it will work.
So yes, some of the products I review I have received free of charge, but I don’t review products for pay, nor do I request products I don’t intend to review. But at the same time I will also let you know about great things I buy, ideas I have and techniques I develop.
I want this to be a blog you can use and rely on for news, knowledge and information about all things needlepoint.
I don’t get paid for product reviews and so you can be sure that if I say I like a product or that you can use it this way, I have already done so.
UPDATE: The new rules are supposed to go into effect December 1, 2009. After that date I will put a notice at the bottom of any product or book review when I have received the product at no cost and whether it was a show sample, requested by me, or unsolicited. As always, my reviews will conrtinue to be unbiased.
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