February 11th, 2006
Bloggers Need a “Chinese Wall”
The backlash and naming calling over Scoble’s declaration that bloggers who run AdSense are “employees of Google,” is understandable (it was a stupid thing to say), but this is an age-old issue in media — how do media companies avoid appearing that they’re “in the pocket” of advertisers?
Concerns that advertisers — who keep the lights on at most media companies — would unduly influence the “objectivity” of journalists lead to the creation of a “Chinese wall” between the editorial and business sides of the operation.
I’m sure that few bloggers have given any thought to whether they need a “Chinese wall,” but as with the “FON scandal,” bloggers are discovering it’s not so easy to be the un-media. Old Media may be unhip, but we bloggers should think twice before we dismiss the wisdom that comes from decades (even centuries) of experience.
Sure you don’t “work” for Google if you run AdSense on your site, but being defensive is not the way to appear above board. Instead of ripping Scoble to shreds (and sure, that’s fun), bloggers should be engaging in a serious conversation about conflicts of interest.
Since most bloggers run both the editorial and business sides of their blogs, a “Chinese wall” is a bit of a (psychological) challenge. And I’m not suggesting we have to disclose our (paltry) AdSense earnings every time we post about Google. But how we react to Scobleizing and other such provocation will go a long way to demonstrating whether bloging is indeed a “mature” medium.
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You’re right, of course, that blogging, like any ad-supported medium, raises issues of advertiser influence and other conflicts of interest and that it’s important to be aware of them and to discuss them openly. But that’s a very different issue than the specific AdSense charge leveled by Scoble. AdSense is not an advertiser; it’s an automated ad-placement mechanism that runs on an algorithm. A blogger doesn’t have to be in good graces with Google to join AdSense and what one writes about Google or AdSense doesn’t influence what one earns through AdSense. The algorithm neither knows nor cares what I write or what you write. AdSense is actually quite a different thing from traditional print advertising, and it’s important to recognize the difference.
Participatory Media and the Incentives Problem…
Why do people blog? Questions about incentives are sure to arise soon after people begin talking about participatory media (or “user-generated content” as the business people call it). Yahoo! Research Berkeley has a whole team, led by Came…
Nick - you’re right that the AdSense algorithm doesn’t care what you write — but the truth is most advertisers in any medium don’t care what you. Sure, if you write something about a company that appears unfair, that company may raise hackles, but few companies will use their advertising spending as a pressure mechanism.
The issue is perceived conflict — I could say that your choice of Google AdSense over Yahoo’s Publisher’s Network or BlogAds or any other advertiser shows a “preference” for Google. Of course, I know that’s not true. But the issue is there.
So you’re right that AdSense feels like an exception — but we need to give some thought to the rule.
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To say that accepting AdSense means you’re in Google’s pocket is a nonsense, and Scoble as usual is stirring the possum, thus bringing attention to himself - which is a good thing as he brings attention to other entries I would otherwise miss. Sorting through the PR flack from the useful is a 21st C cognitive tool becoming all the more necessary, as I see it. But there is another side to the argument for not having AdSense present, and that is loss of control over your blog’s central messages. On my fear of flying blog (we’re talking 1 in 12 Americans as the target population, and the same prop. of Aussies) I have a very definite opinion, as well as examples of “Gold Standard” studies of how to go about reducing this fear. Every Google AdSense ad I have seen represents a point of view or a product that contravenes that standard, and with which I do not wish to be associated nor seen to be giving my imprimatur on my website. I worked hard to achieve credibility inc Attention.org’s, to give it away so easily. I’m guessing the same would occur with other ad placement agencies. What you will see that earns a few pennies are Amazon.com links to books I use and recommend - they do earn my imprimatur and I’m happy to see their authors get something in return. If I can cherry pick the ads. from Google, then I will add them. Can I?
[…] The other day I suggested that bloggers need a “Chinese Wall” to separate their editorial and commercial interests, in order to avoid perceived (or actual) conflicts of interest. Here’s a memo from the world of Old Media — the trusty wall is crumbling under the weight of “product placement” (or the more insidious “product integration”), which is the strategy du jour for overcoming the TiVo-ing of the 30-second spot: There is no standard model for placements; in some cases, story lines involving a specific product are pitched to a relevant company that can then buy its product’s way into the scene; in other cases, companies suggest their products for a show. One Los Angeles broker has set up a matchmaking website so potential partners can find one another. Another company has specialized in digitally inserting brands into films and shows, allowing entertainment companies to sell the same space several times: On one film, for instance, one advertiser appeared in theaters, another on network television, another on basic cable and still another on DVD. […]
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