as far as the independence of what we post about, i’ve been thinking a lot about that the past few days, and while some bloggers are naive, a vast majority of the influential bloggers companies seek to influence are becoming more and more educated through experience both with the companies and with their reader base. i say no to companies on a daily basis, and very rarely will i say yes, and only if it offers value to the blog, to my readers, and to my overall experience as a blogger.

i’m very aware when companies try to dictate what i publish, sometimes it doesnt end well… for them. for example, zara invited me to a shop opening they wined and gifted us, great i posted about it, but when i went into that same store three weeks later and got terrible service, i mean really terrible from not one, but 4 employees, i posted about that too. it so turned out that i wasnt the only one who had the same experience with the retalier.

perhaps the honeymoon period she describes is beginning to end?

the companies will get smarter, but so will the bloggers and the audience everyone wants to reach.

it’s also naive to think that traditional journalists, particularly in fashion media, an industry that is heavily gifted by companies and ruled by the advertisers that anyone’s opinion is truly independent?

who knows?