Do Bloggers have a responsibility to be "fair and balanced"?

It's a rhetorical question, I think.  Or, maybe not.  If I have already decided the answer, does that make it rhetorical.  Because here's the answer:  absolutely not.

Several months ago, I wrote a post about the wonder juice, Mona Vie.  It's a juice made with acai berry and other exotic sounding things that you couldn't possibly grow yourself.  You see, you would have to get the magic seeds from the depths of the Brazillian rain forest.  Ever wonder why the most healthy things in the world only grow in the far reaches of Brazillian rain forests and Himalayan mountain tops?

Anyway, I analyzed the business plan offered to those wishing to be part of the Mona Vie pyramid.  Er, I mean, take advantage of the exciting business opportunity.  Looks to me like it is possible to make some money.  Of course, I don't wish to view all of my friends and family as sales prospects.  So, I guess I wouldn't be successful.

Not surprisingly, the comments were one of two things.  Either it was someone telling us all that Mona Vie cured their high blood pressure, insomnia, baldness, made them taller, grew back their amputated leg, etc.  The other type of comment was that Mona Vie made them broke, ruined their marraige, caused them to be impotent and friendless.  Tragic, really.

So, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it was that same post that instigated my first bit of hate mail.  Here's the email that I found in my inbox this morning:

"It seems that before you question the business of Mona Vie that you would at least find out what pv means.  Hey, here's a concept why don't you drink it for a month and then make your claims.  How long do you have to take vitamins before feeling any difference?  Do vitamins help lower your blood pressure because that is what Mona Vie has done for my mother.  Don't ruin it for everyone else who can benefit from the nutritional value of Mona Vie."

It was sent from the catering department of a golf course.  I wonder if she's slipping some acai berries into the fruit tart.  Lucky golfers.

Comments

[Amphritrite]

We're not CNN here. And even CNN has opinion-based news much of the time. You can't find a single political article that isn't biased in some way.

Seriously: the only way to be completely unbiased is to review something you've never heard anything about, but then, of course, how would you know to review it?

In any case, it's a blog, people. Take it with a grain of salt.

[BTGNow.net]

I think bloggers especially have to be fair and balanced for two reasons
1)Most of the time, our posts are simply our opinions
2) I don't want to be sued

1) I am not yet a professional in the field of personal finance, which is what BTGnow.net is all about. So I cannot claim that my posts are anything other than a (hopefully) well informed opinion.
This would also be the case for posts on various products, financial, berry-related, or otherwise: for example, if I simply had a feeling, an inkling that something was a scam, i'd only be FEELING that these claims are bogus, but I would not have the credentials or proof from reputable sources to back up my claims (say a medical liscence, first hand experience, etc...)

This leads into 2) I don't want to get sued. I purposefully try not to write about anything I cannot find high quality sources for, and I try very hard not to make specific value judgements.

Of course, if everyone did this, no one would be talking about supposedly bad products, and we'd all be worse off as a society for the lack of discourse on the subject.

But we're business people, running our businesses (our blogs), and as such, we have to be more careful than individuals.

http://www.btgnow.net

[Abby]

I disagree with BTGNow, quite readily.

Anyone who thinks that blogs aren't opinion is kidding themselves. We obviously offer all sorts of advice. But it is ultimately up to the reader how much to put into practice.

I wrote about why I wouldn't save for an emergency fund. But I said in the post it wouldn't really fit all lifestyles. But even if I hadn't, could someone have sued me? Well, yeah but it'd be thrown out.

Blogs are opinion. Because advice is always going to be opinion. You can quote numbers and statistics all day (in fact, 98% of people do, 70% of the time -- see how easy that was?) but in the end you're telling people what works or doesn't for you. In your opinion/experience. Anyone who can't remember that shouldn't be allowed to read any media of any sort.

[Abby]

PS. Your drinking Mona Vie and/or feelings its effects has nothing to do with an analysis of the business plan. If it's pyramid-like and that's one of your main problems with it (and you disclose how long you took it if you do question its authenticity) you don't even have to TASTE the stuff. Sheesh.

[Jerry]

Blogging leads to the dissemination of pure opinion. I read things on blogs that are such complete and utter nonsense that I have to laugh to the side to keep from spraying my keyboard with saliva. Anyone who wants to find some insurance for unadulterated truth (or balance) in blogging will search for a long, looooong time.
Jerry

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