University Star

The Federal Trade Commission has made a proposal that would force Internet bloggers to disclose any freebies they receive from companies or products they choose to endorse.

Therefore, if a company sends mom a free vacuum to try out, and she blogs about how well it sucks the dirt from her rug, she would be required by federal law to disclose that in the same post. The proposal was mentioned in hopes to prevent bloggers from writing false rave reviews after getting free products.

“It will help educate consumers who read blogs,” said Kym Fox, senior lecturer in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “A lot of people who browse the Internet don’t know what they’re reading. I can see value in having consumer protection. Bloggers aren’t doing it themselves, so the FTC decided to step in.”

Esmeralda Guerrero, theater senior, keeps a blog about different burgers she tries locally.

“I’m for it,” said Guerrero. “If someone gave me a free cheeseburger, I would probably say it was free anyway, and if it sucked I would still say that. I wouldn’t let that affect my opinion.”

Frank Walsh, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, agrees with the proposal and the need for more transparency of information, but said advertisers will fight back.

“The First Amendment rights of large institutions not disclosing how they’re spending some of their advocacy money might be upheld,” Walsh said. “I think what you’re seeing is the beginning of another First Amendment judicial process that will take probably two years to be resolved.”

However, Kym Fox said First Amendment rights should also defend bloggers and their free speech.

“The government should not be involved in what we publish,” Fox said. “Consumers and audiences should look at blogs with a wary eye and consider what they’re reading for themselves and where it came from before accepting it.”

Some students also feel the FTC is infringing on civil rights.

“A blog is the most liberal form of human communication,” said Mark Nash, international studies senior. “One should be able to speak about what they want to on a blog in the form they wish. The FTC adding regulations to blogs diminishes the power of open speech.”

There are no laws requiring authors of print media to be as open about handouts they receive, but several mass communication faculty members said journalism is a profession that requires operating under a standard of ethics. The code sets the profession apart from the newer medium.

“Journalists hold themselves more accountable than the average blogger on the Internet,” Fox said. “The alternative is bloggers should operate with ethics. If you want people to believe you, you should be transparent.”