Take Our Survey On Bloggers, Trust And Transparency

Next month’s STELLAR is taking a look at bloggers. We’re talking beauty, social media trends, bloggers’ constantly growing influence, careers – and we’re also talking about transparency. Because with great power comes great responsibility, and that includes presenting yourself as a trustworthy individual.

Transparency in blogging is a contentious issue at the moment. On the one hand, does the public need to know that a blogger got sent some free pharmacy lipstick in the post? Aren’t there more important issues facing Irish society at the moment? For example, we don’t yet have a government.

On the other hand, bloggers are A Big Deal. They’re affecting consumer habits, openly collaborating with major brands and in some cases acting as stealth advertisers. What about 16-year-old girls sitting at home who don’t understand that repeated breathless mention of a brand in a Snapchat video is often a flag for a forthcoming invoice to a blogger’s bank account? If the advertising industry is regulated, shouldn’t ‘influencers’ being paid to promote stuff also be addressed?

The ASAI, that’s the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland, waded into the ongoing debate earlier this year. The ASAI’s new code came into effect earlier this month and aims to crack down on bloggers who don’t disclose sponsorship and payment when talking about products or services. As the Irish blogging landscape adjusts to this new world, we want to ask you, our readers, about blogging and transparency. The results will be published in next month’s magazine with a report running alongside.

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