British Mummy Bloggers Do It With Integrity

Integrity1 As a mummy blogging evangelist and founder of the British Mummy Bloggers social network, I've been following the debate about blogging ethics and reviews/sponsored posts with great interest. This is now official business in the US, with the FTC about to launch guidelines this summer.

Things seemed to hit a crescendo when Mom Dot, a social network for US mommy bloggers, announced a PR Blackout Challenge aimed at urging mommy bloggers to get back to basics after loosing the plot to the allure of giveaways, reviews, and blog trips.

In response, I wrote May British Mummy Bloggers Never Need a PR Blackout, more as a warning to our growing community of what may be in store if we don't learn from what has happened to mommy bloggers on the other side of the pond.

After several conversations and comments, it became clear that British mummy bloggers don't need a code of ethics. That would take all the fun out of blogging and make it seem more like work. Rather, we could all use a reminder of the issues of ethical blogging. Hence, British Mummy Bloggers Do It With Integrity was born.

The “British Mummy Bloggers Do It with Integrity” badge stands for blogging with principle. By displaying the badge you agree that you will strive to:

  • Make transparent any relationships with products or companies;
  • Clearly label advertising, advertorials and/or sponsored posts;
  • Always write as truthfully as possible about a product or company;
  • Observe intellectual property rights.

If you would like to join in our campaign to keep doing it with integrity, please feel free to grab the code and display it on your blog:

<a href="https://amodernmother.com/british-mummy-bloggers-do-it-with-integrity.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i580.photobucket.com/albums/ss248/violetposy/integrity1-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Obviously particpation is not mandatory and we cannot guarantee compliance.

Thank you to the Blog with Integrity people for their inspiration for this post. They have a more indepth campaign and pledge, please check it out and sign their petition.

And a big thank you to Liz at Violet Posy for designing our lovely badge! Liz is the technical help behind the network and does a FAB job.

I'm also adding some examples of disclosure pages:

35 COMMENTS

  1. Disclosure Policy | 18th Sep 15

    […] All sponsored posts are clearly marked as so in line with the British Mummy Bloggers do it with Integrity Campaign. […]

  2. Blogging with integrity | A place of my own | 5th Jan 15

    […] have been meaning to add this to my site since I first saw Susanna’s post on her blog. This is something that I agree with wholeheartedly and I feel that as long as I follow […]

  3. Custom Facebook Application | 11th Apr 12

    Thanks for stopping by my site. I love this British Mummy Bloggers badge. I am also a member of British Mummy Bloggers, but I haven’t seen this one. Where did you find it?

  4. diy home solar power | 2nd Jul 11

    I am very pleased that communities like these are nowadays starting to show up more often. Hail the mummy bloggers for their work to the blogging community.

  5. Baby bedding | 18th May 11

    The badge is a great way of checking people’s integrity and whether or not to trust the reviews!

  6. Hayley Sparkle | 11th Jan 11

    proud to join the campaign

  7. jules | 28th Nov 10

    Lovely, done it!

  8. free ipad | 18th Oct 10

    British Mummy Bloggers Do It With Integrity<-- interesting!

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    British Mummy Bloggers Do It With Integrity<-- Great!

  10. verdict | 24th Sep 10

    British Mummy Bloggers Do It With Integrity <-- The title shows slightly a difference picture of what we gotta perceive reading the whole post!

  11. Skin Care / Anti-Aging Reviews | 26th Aug 10

    Perhaps it might be worth including a rule that it should be made obvious from the start.

  12. Nike Dunks | 18th Aug 10

    We got out carrying bags of hope! With it we will fight harder!

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    Many students are used, they put the book small bag. Why not try a coach bag, very convenient.

  14. nfl jerseys | 30th Jul 10

    Nice post.Thank you for taking the time to publish this information very useful!
    I’m still waiting for some interesting thoughts from your side in your next post thanks

  15. louis vuitton bags | 22nd Jul 10

    Perhaps it might be worth including a rule that it should be made obvious from the start.

  16. Supra Shoes | 22nd Jul 10

    I’m supporting this – with one big caveat – some bloggers manage giveaways and sponsorships really well. I’m not against all sponsorship, paid for reviews etc. Disclaimers just need to be easy to find, that’s all.

  17. louis vuitton speedy bag | 21st Jul 10

    It’s absolutely Perfect!I love the way on how you decorate those frames on the wall, and it goes with the floor too.Cool!

  18. UK Government Site | 27th Jun 10

    I agree with your Blog and I will be back to check it more in the future so please keep up your work. I love your content & the way that you write. It looks like you’ve been doing this for a while now, how long have you been blogging for?

  19. uk job | 27th Jun 10

    Your blog is very motivating. When I was reading it, I get drawn in. I am totally agreed with your thoughts. Thanks for sharing this beautiful thoughts with me.

  20. Mwa | 10th Dec 09

    I like this!
    I was wondering, though, about the recent vogue for doing sponsored posts, and only mentioning at the END of the post that it was sponsored. This always makes me feel like I’ve been “had.” Perhaps it might be worth including a rule that it should be made obvious from the start.

  21. Liz | 3rd Sep 09

    Susanna I was just wondering in your opinion if the Hectic Mum blog is ‘transparent’ enough. It’s run by Get The Label and we mention the products a lot hence making it very clear to the reader that the two are associated but is this enough?
    Liz

  22. Jo Beaufoix | 27th Aug 09

    I’ve signed up and added the badge. I’m really in favour of this. Well done Susanna and Violet Posy.

  23. Sass | 17th Aug 09

    I’m supporting this – with one big caveat – some bloggers manage giveaways and sponsorships really well. I’m not against all sponsorship, paid for reviews etc. Disclaimers just need to be easy to find, that’s all.

  24. Brit in Bosnia | 17th Aug 09

    award for you at mine. x

  25. Susan Getgood | 16th Aug 09

    I’m one of the co-founders of BlogWithIntegrity.com and it is great to see the idea spread.
    Good luck with your campaign.

  26. Claire | 15th Aug 09

    I’m having problems putting that on my page. Not sure why. Does it work on Blogger pages? And is it javascript/HTML?

  27. Dee Parrot | 15th Aug 09

    I love this idea. I’m new to blogging, but I think all these standards are important. The “observe intellectual property rights” one is important to me. If people write for me, they will always be acknowledged, with a link to their blog.

  28. Caroline | 15th Aug 09

    Thanks for the interesting links, Susanna. Real food for thought.

  29. A Modern Mother | 15th Aug 09

    clarey–thanks!
    notSupermum–thanks for the support.
    Potty–that’s unusual, I’m never on time!
    Iota–Done. And thanks for the heads up on the campaign.
    Felicia–yes, if only it was that simple.
    Natalie–Thanks for your support, many of your ideas were incorporated in this.

  30. Natalie | 14th Aug 09

    Although I won’t be signing up as I have a disclosure and my blogs are my business and not all parent related, this is a good idea in the main, particularly when readers may not have recognised the shift in a blog that has gone from being ‘personal’ to having elements that are commercially driven within the content.

  31. Felicia - I Complete Me | 14th Aug 09

    Such a great idea. I wish we can simply put a badge on our site to do this as well, but I’m pretty sure someone will still be upset. Oh the joy of mommy blogging.

  32. Iota | 14th Aug 09

    Great idea.
    How about saying
    ‘Always write as truthfully as possible about a product or company’?
    Oftentimes, a blogger is using information given to them by a company. I think it’s fair just to use that info, rather than to feel they have to do independent research.
    But I’m being pedantic, and I don’t want to compromise the snappiness of your excellent bullet points.
    I’m not going to display the badge, because I don’t do reviews etc. If I start to do so, then I will.

  33. Potty Mummy | 14th Aug 09

    I’ve signed up and got the badge on the blog. Very timely, Susanna!

  34. notSupermum | 14th Aug 09

    I love this campaign, and have signed the pledge. Well done to everyone involved.

  35. clareybabble | 14th Aug 09

    Sounds great! I will put the badge on my blog.

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