BATW discussion of "Ethics & Etiquette of Travel Writing"

I’m speaking at today’s meeting of the Bay Area Travel Writers as part of a panel on the Ethics & Etiquette of Travel Writing.

Audio archive: downloadable podcast and streaming audio

Moderator (Erin Van Rheenen) and other panelists:

• Catherine Boire
• David Page
• Tom Wilmer
• Erin Van Rheenen (In addition to her own many writing accomplishments, Erin was my editor at Avalon Travel Publishing for “The Practical Nomad Guide to the Online Travel Marketplace” and the 2nd edition of “The Practical Nomad: How to Travel Around the World”.)

Here are some links to things we’ll be talking about:

• FTC guidelines on endorsements, testimonials, and advertising (FTC press release, 5 October 2009)
• FTC guidelines (text of the guidelines)
• FTC guidelines (complete Federal Register notice with additional FTC commentary and discussion)
  
  
• My initial analysis and commentary on the FTC guidelines (23 October 2009)
• My follow-up commentary and links to responses to the FTC guidelines (12 November 2009)
• Analysis of first report of FTC investigation under the new guidelines (by Susan Getgood, co-founder of “Blog With Integrity” and author of the forthcoming Professional Blogging for Dummies book, for which she interviewed me as one of her case studies)
  
  
• Twitter hashtag for discussion of travel writing ethics: #twethics
• Blog With Integrity (Twitter @BlogIntegrity)
• Travel Bloggers Exchange (webcast panels including Mary Engle of the FTC and Susan Getgood of BlogWithIntegrity on “Travel Writing Ethics - Freebies and Disclosures”, Sunday, 27 June 2010, 8-8:45 a.m. PDT; Twitter #tbex10)
• The Travel Bloggers Show (sponsored by the American Society of Travel Agents in conjunction with the ASTA trade show for travel agents and travel suppliers, Orlando, FL, September 11-14 2010; workshops with Edward Hasbrouck for travel bloggers on “Working with travel marketers and p.r. agencies” and for travel agencies, suppliers, and p.r. agencies on “How to work with travel bloggers”; Twitter @trvlbloggershow)
  
  
• My Disclosures & Disclaimers page
• My How to Pitch Me page

[Follow-up: Notes on the discussion by Suzie Rodriguez and April Orcutt]

[Update: Another FTC enforcement action, this time against a p.r firm that engaged in online shilling by posting “reviews” without disclosing that the reviewesr were working for the supplier of the product being reviewed — a problem I’ve written about in the travel context here and here.]