The Maven has a degree in journalism and worked for 12 years as a newspaper reporter. Though blogging is a different medium, we believe that the same ethical standards apply. Therefore, we do not accept free or discounted meals or lodging from the restaurants and hotels we review. As is standard practice in newsrooms (at least the one I worked in), we will accept review copies of books and food products if they are sent to us, but we do not solicit them and the monetary value must not exceed $25. This does not necessarily mean that we will write about them. In fact, The Maven just donated a half-dozen boxes of unreviewed books to her local library.
We do not, under any circumstances, allow advertising or freebies to sway our opinions or to dictate coverage. Though we hope to accept advertising from local businesses at some point, there will never — ever — be any blurring of the lines between advertising and editorial on this site. If we have a more-than-professional relationship with one of our feature subjects, we'll let you know.
Here's the bottom line: If we wouldn't spend our own money on a product, we wouldn't recommend it to you. No matter what.
