Code of Ethics, Disclosure, Advertising and Sample Policies

My Blogger Code Of Ethics

Preamble: As with other Journalists, professional integrity is the cornerstone of a Food and Wine Blogger’s credibility. Thus we should desire to adhere to certain standards of ethical behavior to establish that credibility. To that effect, I hereby adopt the following ethical code as my accepted standard of professional responsibility. My ethical code consists of three pillars of responsibility, including Honesty, Accountability and Tolerance. Please note that this code is a modified version of the Society of Professional Journalist's Code of Ethics.

Honesty
I shall maintain honesty and fairness in my posting.
I shall never engage in plagiarism.
I shall support all applicable copyright laws.
I shall endeavor to provide links to any website I reference or quote.
I shall publicly correct any errors or misinformation in my posts.

Accountability
I shall disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest.
I shall endeavor to note any questionable or biased sources.
I shall invite discussion and comments on our blogs, even if those comments are opposed to my own opinions.

Tolerance
I shall treat all sources and subjects as human beings deserving of respect.
I shall avoid all stereotyping and discrimination.

Disclosure Policy
Please be advised that I may occasionally receive samples of wine, sake, spirits, food, books, and other related products. I may also sometimes be invited to wine tastings, dinners, and other food/wine related events, including journalist trips to various wine regions around the world. It is always clear to these vendors and suppliers that I am never under any obligation to actually review any of these items or events. If I do decide to review any of those items or events, I am also under no obligation to say anything specific, whether positive or negative, about such matters. Everything I write, all of the content, is solely at my discretion.

Advertising Policy
At this time, I do not have any paid advertising on my blog. Weekly, in my Thursday Sips & Nibbles column, I list upcoming events, but I do not receive any compensation for mentioning any event in that column. The inclusion of events in that column is purely at my own discretion. In the future, I might include advertisements on my blog, and if I do, I shall update this policy. In general though, such advertisements will only be for products and services I already support.

Samples
If you wish to send me samples of your products, please first contact me through email at ubarluther@aol.com to see if I would be interested in receiving your samples.  If you wish to contact me about attending food/wine events, including journalist trips, please also first email me concerning the matter.

My shipping address is:
Richard Auffrey
The Passionate Foodie
200F Main Street, Suite 332
Stoneham, MA 02180
Phone: 781-608-3494