Yesterday we published this piece about a new Website/Blog called Fresh & Easy Review which has started reviewing fresh & easy store brand food and grocery products.
As part of writing and publishing our piece, we asked the Blog's publisher to verify for us if Fresh & Easy Review was an independent website or affiliated with Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market.
We just received an email reply from the publisher of Fresh & Easy Review in which he explains and says the Blog is his -- and independent of Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market.
Below is the publisher's reply email to our question:
Fresh & Easy Review.com Site
Monday, September 22, 2008
From: "Carlitos Malvado"
To:
Monday, September 22, 2008
From: "Carlitos Malvado"
To:
-----Inline Attachment Follows-----
"Hello! I just wanted to say, that i am not associated with Fresh and Easy Neighborhood market, I am an individual doing this on my own, on my own time...Thank You for writing about my website on your blog! I feel so Honored!
"Hello! I just wanted to say, that i am not associated with Fresh and Easy Neighborhood market, I am an individual doing this on my own, on my own time...Thank You for writing about my website on your blog! I feel so Honored!
On the other hand, I am actually a trying to make my way into the Graphic Design and Web Development industry, and this website is actually a fun project which I will be testing my Development and Design Skills, I am currently working on what I believe will be a better and more user friendly version of the website! I have some reviews stacking up on my desk, and I will definitely get around to discussing some of the not so great products!
If you have any other questions feel free to let me know!
Thank You Once again!"
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In addition to the email response to Fresh & Easy Buzz, Fresh & Easy Review has posted a response to our question here on its Website/Blog.
We thank the publisher of Fresh & Easy Review for responding to our question so promptly.
We inquired about the Website's affiliation for two reasons. One, we wanted to verify its independence or lack thereof. Additionally, Fresh & Easy Buzz has intelligent and perceptive readers, a number of whom we knew would ask us just that question after reading the piece had we not addressed it in the story.
One reader has already made a comment in that regard in the piece's comments section. We also received two emails thus far since our story was published yesterday on the topic of the Blog being affiliated with Tesco Fresh & Easy or if it's independent.
We are neither endorsing or not endorsing Fresh & Easy Review. [Nor do we expect it to endorse Fresh & Easy Buzz. We let our content speak for itself.]
But we do except the publisher's email answer and explanation to our question. We also appreciate his taking the time to do so.
As is always the case -- just like it should be with Fresh & Easy Buzz and any other publication -- readers should judge a publication by its content in terms of its independence and objectivity.
Again, we thank Fresh & Easy Review for responding to our question.
Note:
Link to our piece from yesterday, Sunday, September 21, 2008:
For months I've read your posts and I'm pretty impressed with the information that you share, but what about you? Who are you and why should we "trust" the information that you share. In my view, you are putting yourself out there as an expert, yet there is no process for us to inquire as to your “agenda” here...
ReplyDeleteI never would have asked, but you called out the blogger in question...so I now compelled to do the same to you. What are your credentials to be the expert in this field?
Thanks for the insight...
-Tim
Fresh & Easy Buzz is what it says right on the home page of the Blog: An independent publication covering Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market and related issues.
ReplyDeleteNothing less; nothing more.
That's why we put it right there, along with our email address, which you may use at any time to communicate with the Blog.
We didn't "call out" the Blogger; we merely asked him a question which we would hope any objective publication would do. If you read the question, his answer, and our response to the blogger, we think that is clear.
We have no agenda other than a strong interest in the food and grocery industry, along with the small-format development in the U.S. and globally.
And as you know as a Blogger -- once you get into various topics they tend to become even more intereting to you -- resulting often in further coverage and Blogging on them.
As we said in the the piece published earlier, in which we report the answers to our question from Fresh & Easy Review, we suggest any reader base his or her judgement on the content of a publication -- be that the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fresh & Easy Buzz, or your blog.
And also use the comments box to offer your views.
In the case of Fresh & Easy Buzz, since you read it regularly you will know we are rather on target with out reporting. That's because we approach it from a journalistic framework source-wise and such, which few Blogs do.
In terms of our analysis and commentary pieces, they are just that.
Analysis pieces are based on industry experience, empirical data, and a combimation of deductive and inductive reasoning.
Commentary pieces are based on all that -- but also include opinion.
In both those pieces we also reserve the right to include a point-of-view...which we don't generally do in our straight reporting.However, if we want we can do that to.
We recently commented that we thought Fresh & Easy's marketing idea to hold free "indie" concerts at its Hollywood store was in our analysis and opinion a good idea, for example.
On the other hand, we've commented on other aspects of Fresh & Easy's marketing that in our analysis -- and sometimes opinion -- we think are plain bad.
But as you know as a Blogger yourself, we have no obligation to be objective. That is our choice -- but we also reserve the choice to offer analysis and commentary. You will notice when we do either an analysis or commentary piece, we label it as such. Again we don't have to. But choose to in the main.
Thanks for being a regular reader and for commenting.
March 2014
ReplyDeleteI am extremely disappointed with the ultra changes F&E so much I will not be shopping there as often. Reason prices & the system of their new marking down food products...It is INSANE