In response to this, several people with old-fashioned ethics have posted their personal standards. Walter Mossberg, tech reviewer for the Wall Street Journal, wrote today:
I neither seek, nor accept, money, or anything else of value, from the companies whose products I cover....I also don't accept trips, speaking fees or "editorial discounts" from companies whose products I cover. If I want a product I review for my own use, I buy it, at retail. And I don't own a single share of stock in any of the companies whose products I cover. Also, I never coordinate my reviews with our advertising sales department, and don't solicit or sell ads. On many occasions, I have written negative reviews of products from companies that advertise prominently in this newspaper, and positive reviews of companies that don't advertise....
It's unfortunate that a few so-called reviewers, mainly on television, do charge companies for mentions, and thus raise doubts in the public's mind about technology reviews in general.
These standards are not only good for old-media journalists, but apply equally to more casual bloggers who want to be taken seriously. Check out the Blogger's Code of Ethics for more.
Blogger Thomas Hawk says "trust is an important thing," so "disclose before you're busted."