Fascinating round-up from David Dobbs about the exodus of science bloggers from the ScienceBlogs network, part of the Seed Media Group magazine title, over the launch of a new blog sponsored by PepsiCo.
The origins of the PepsiCo blog – money rather than merit – would not have matched those of other bloggers on the network: it’s an issue of credibility and trust between the readers and writers, says Dobbs.
Does this advertising-editorial wall ensure good journalism? Unfortunately, no; people find other ways to botch journalism. But in the murky world of media, we need a few firm lines to keep us away from slippery slopes. This pact between publisher, writer, and reader provides one of the most vital. It forms the foundation of reader trust; violating it erodes that foundation. Ads are a necessary evil. Credible publications present them unambiguously as third-party commercial messages so the reader instantly knows someone is selling something. That’s why patching a couple of stickers on a blog that presents itself in every other way as editorial content, as Seed proposed before killing the Pepsi blog, doesn’t work. It’s like sticking a lapel button on a guy at the front of the church in a tuxedo and expecting us to think he’s not part of the wedding. The guy needs different clothes.
Correction: this post has been amended to show that it is Seed Media Group not AOL’s Seed that run ScienceBlogs.
Eh, regarding your headline “Science bloggers leave AOL in protest at Pepsi sponsorship” — you have some brand confusion going on here. ScienceBlogs.com is owned by Seed Media Group, not AOL. Not to be confused with AOL’s Seed service.
Hi Dave – thanks for your comment, as you’ll see I’ve acknowledged and corrected the post. Somehow had confused the two!