Public flogging

Flogging: noun. Fake blogging (term coined by Matthew Oliphant).

That's what Wal-Mart detractors accused freelance writer Laura St. Claire and her partner, Jim Thresher, a staff photographer for The Washington Post, of doing when they accepted the Working Families for Wal-Mart (WFWM) offer to sponsor their RV tour.

The couple had planned to take vacation time to tour the country and stay for free in Wal-Mart parking lots. Laura would pitch a story idea to RV Magazine, but only after getting permission from Wal-Mart to talk to people and take pictures. When she queried a contact at WFWM's PR agency, Edelman, she got an irresistible offer for an all-expense paid trip in exchange for blogging about the experience.

Now, here's a story idea that sold, big time. That's the good news for freelance writers. The bad news is that Laura failed to disclose the extent of the sponsorship in the blog -- a failing that gave rise to an ugly public flogging.

Here's the MediaPost recap of the sordid affair, and Debbie Weil's commentary. Edelman ultimately acknowledged it's sole error: failing to be transparent.

After reading Laura's final post on Wal-Marting Across America, I think the blogosphere went to far in scapegoating these two journalists. Laura's reputation is perhaps irreparably damaged, and Jim could lose his job or endure sanctions.

Is blogging so influential that people should lose their jobs over it? It's happened before. Or is the power of groups like Wal-Mart Watch what is truly to be feared? The lesson: Be careful out there. It's a cruel sphere of influence to play around in.