The bloggers behind SpicySaltySweet and Food Woolf have banded together to propose a code of ethics for food bloggers on FOODETHICS. Specific comments on their proposal herein. General thoughts on their ideas to follow.

1. We will be accountable

We will write about the culinary world with the care of a professional. We will not use the power of our blog as a weapon. We will stand behind our claims. If what we say or show could potentially affect someone’s reputation or livelihood, we will post with the utmost thought and due diligence.

Accountable? Sure. Care of a professional? I'm not a professional so I don't know what that means. If you mean behave as a journalist, puhleeze! I have a low opinion of "journalists." I won't stoop to meet their standards. Won't use the power of my blog as a weapon? I most certainly will use it as a weapon, not to be malicious but to foster improvement. Stand behind my claims? Sure. Use utmost thought and due diligence? I already do.

We understand why some bloggers choose to stay anonymous. We respect that need but will not use it as an excuse to avoid accountability. When we choose to write anonymously for our own personal or professional safety, we will not post things we wouldn’t be comfortable putting our names to.

I am anonymous because it's part of the blog's persona. If you object to something I say, leave a comment or send an e-mail. I may be anonymous but I don't hide. There's a difference.

If we review a restaurant, product or culinary resource we will consider integrating the standard set of guidelines as offered by the Association of Food Journalists.

Short answer: Hell, no! Long answer: Read on.

2. We will be civil

"None of us should be uncivil in our manner as we debate issues of consequence. ... However, in the effort to be civil in conduct, many who know better actually dilute firmly held views to avoid appearing "judgmental." They curb their tongues not only in form but also in substance. The insistence on civility in the form of our debates has the perverse effect of cannibalizing our principles, the very essence of a civil society." - Justice Clarence Thomas

We...acknowledge that our experiences with food are subjective.

True but irrelevant to the current topic.

We promise to be mindful—regardless of how passionate we are—that we will be forthright, and will refrain from personal attacks.

Yes. All else in this topic unnecessary.

3. We will reveal bias

If we are writing about something or someone we are emotionally or financially connected to, we will be up front about it.

Agree.

4. We will disclose gifts, comps and samples

When something is given to us or offered at a deep discount because of our blog, we will disclose that information.  As bloggers, most of us do not have the budgets of large publications, and we recognize the value of samples, review copies of books, donated giveaway items and culinary events. It’s important to disclose freebies to avoid be accused of conflicts of interest.

Agree.

5. We will follow the rules of good journalism

See previous comments on journalism/journalists.

We will not plagiarize. We will respect copyright on photos. ... We will research. We will attribute quotes and offer link backs to original sources whenever possible. We will do our best to make sure that the information we are posting is accurate. We will factcheck.

Yes, yes, yes. Do journalists actually do this stuff? You could have fooled me.

In other words, we will strive to practice good journalism even if we don’t consider ourselves journalists.

No. I'm going to strive to be accurate and to link early and often, not just to original sources but also to other sources that can provide more perspective on the matter at hand, including viewpoints that differ from my own. I don't see journalists doing these things.


In additional to the code of ethics, FOODETHICS also proposes a set of reviewer's (sic) guidelines, drawn heavily from the guidelines of the Association of Food Journalists. Comments forthwith.

1. We will be thorough.

We will consult the Association of Food Journalist guidelines to maintain a standard for reviews.

Not appropriate for bloggers. Because most of the parts of the AFJ standards that are problematic for bloggers are summarized in point #2, below, I'll not comment further here.

2. We will be fair when reviewing a restaurant

Yes. But the guidelines that follow are biased a) in favor of the restaurants and b) in favor of bloggers who 1) work for a publication with deep pockets, 2) make a significant amount of money from their blogs or 3) are wealthy.

We will try to visit a restaurant more than once (more than twice, if possible) before passing a final judgment. We realize that this is an ideal. Some people are writing about restaurants that they go to in their travels, and most of us don’t have the money to go to places more than once (and find it especially hard to cough up the extra dough if a place stinks the first time we go). If you only go to a restaurant once, just say so.

See The Dreaded Three-Visit Rule for my thoughts on this issue. If I've been to a restaurant only once, it'll be obvious from my post. I don't need to insult my readers and ruin the flow of my writing by explicitly saying, "I've only been to this restaurant once."

We will sample the full range of items on menu.

Sorry, my waistline is too big and my wallet too small to safely comply.

We will be fair to new restaurants. Establishments experience growing pains. We will wait at least one month after the restaurant opens, allowing them to work out some kinks, before writing a full-fledged review. If, however, we chose to post about a new restaurant because of timeliness and competitiveness, we will  instead offer readers “initial impressions.”

I'll give new restaurants a break when they begin offering lower prices to diners during their first month or so of operation. If they charge full price, I'll pull no punches.

If we receive an item for free or if we are recognized during our reviewing process, we will mention so in our review.

Free, yes. Recognized, no. I don't go out of my way to inform people that I'm a blogger but I'm not going to apologize if someone at the joint knows it or sees me taking a picture of my food. Hint to blog readers: If there's a food picture in a post, assume the restaurant figured out that I was a blogger while I was dining. I don't have the pull or cash to send a photo crew to the restaurant after the fact.

While anonymity is important when dining out and conducting a review, we will not hide behind a pseudonym. If complete anonymity is required for personal or professional safety, we will not post anything that we wouldn’t feel comfortable putting our name on and owning up to. Readers should also be able to respond to the reviews.

I'll damn well use a pseudonym. It's integral to the persona of my blog. That's not hiding — readers can comment and reach me by e-mail as they wish.


The bottom line here is that food bloggers and restaurant critics are two different animals and should not be confused with one another. Attempting to hold bloggers to the standards of critics serves no purpose other than stifling blogging.