When YouTube becomes TheirTube

By Molly Flatt

Social media’s latest ethical thorn bush comes courtesy of Australia’s Hugh Thomas, a popular YouTube videomaker who posted up a video blog based on the (ironically titled) US drama Lie To Me - without disclosing that he was paid to do it by 20th Century Fox. And off the back of his vlog, scores of similar clips were uploaded - all by users who were also paid, but kept their mouths shut (full story at The Sunday Morning Herald here).

It isn’t as clumsy as some other Australian and American YouTube ‘whisper campaigns’ - at least the videos were actually created by real users, who entered the deal knowingly - but that just makes it more risible, blurring the lines between independent content and sponsored spam. Fox will learn nothing from it - who knows if any of those users were really interested in the drama or not, and what they thought? - and the whole thing makes the show seem deeply unappealing; even with our own lizard-faced Tim Roth in the starring role, the only way they could get people inspired by it was, apparently, to pay them. Fail.

If you fancy a chat with our full-time ethicist Sylwia, get in touch.

Brought into the world on Thursday, February 19th, 2009 and filed under Uncategorized.

  • Good point Dan. And of course with non-paid content, the content IS part of the independent conversation - which is so much cooler.
    Although possibly not as cool as a full-time ethicist.
  • I still don't quite get the idea that non-disclosure is worth the risk. Is there proof that disclosing payment leads to less conversation?
    (Even if it's about the merits of payment or not!)
    And that's aside from the cool idea of being a full time ethicist!
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