HTownAg98 said:
I could go on and on about "influencers," but if you're publicizing a restaurant and you are getting compensated for anything (discounted or comped meal, or flat-out getting paid for it), and you don't disclose that, you should be embarrassed and I hope your reputation is ruined.
This is one of the reasons I respect Dave Portnoy as a pizza critic. The guy is a multi-millionaire through his business deals with Barstool, so he became an influencer without needing to make that his career. He still uses his 'power' for good, though. If he tries a pizza and it isn't great but he can see the people are really trying, he doesn't post a review, but comes back later and gives them a second chance once they're established. If he tries one and they're great, he reports how they're great, and people flock to that place. He knows one good review can make a place into an overnight success, and he tries to help people out there trying to make it.
He's like Jonathan Gold, the beloved food critic for the LA Times who passed from cancer in 2018. Gold basically refused to do a bad review. He knew people were often putting their life savings into their restaurant dream, and he wasn't going to crush someone like that. If it wasn't great, he'd give them time to master their craft, and come back when it was great so he could rave about it.
