The editorial team of Eater has determined the following statement of ethics which all employees and freelancers agree to abide by.
Conduct
Eater critics do not accept free dishes or meals from restaurants or their representatives unless they are items given to other patrons or regulars. If a conflict exists between a critic and a chef or restaurateur (be it friendly or otherwise) the critic will recuse himself from reviewing that restaurant or very clearly disclose the conflict. Eater critics will not attend media dinners, press previews, or friends and family meals. Eater critics will strive for anonymity when reviewing restaurants, meaning they will make reservations under assumed names, avoid posting photos of themselves publicly, and refrain from revealing their identities when introduced to chefs and restaurateurs. Eater critics will not abuse their title to obtain favors, including reservations and choice tables
Eater editors are permitted to attend media events, press previews, and friends and family meals but will not accept comps during the course of a regular restaurant meal.
Gifts/Freebies
Editors may accept gifts/freebies valued at less than $100, so long as the acceptance of the freebie in no way compromises or guarantees editorial coverage of the product/service. Examples of acceptable freebies that fall under this category include a special dish sent out by a restaurant’s kitchen during a meal that the editor is otherwise paying full price for or swag from events an editor is covering.
Any item given to an editor with a value of over $100 must be specially approved and disclosed on the site. An example of an acceptable freebie in this category would be a brand or company paying to fly an editor to a food event in Europe. In such an instance, the first post covering the event must disclose the arrangement with the brand.
Advertising
Eater has advertisers on our site; they are our primary source of revenue. Our company, Vox Media, employs a dedicated advertising team responsible for selling ad space on Eater. The Eater editorial team does not accept money or other consideration from companies as a condition or incentive to write a review or story, whether favorable or unfavorable. All editorial content on Eater is based on the editorial team’s discretion, not on the desire of any company, advertiser or PR firm.
Our website may also contain affiliate marketing links, which means we may be paid commission on sales of those products or services we write about. But again, our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers or affiliate partnerships. From time to time, Eater may publish sponsored content, and will always clearly label such content as sponsored.
Personal Conflict
Any employee of Eater who has a spouse, partner, or other close relationship with an employee of a company which Eater covers will disclose the relationship on the site and/or recuse themselves from coverage of that topic.
Corrections
Eater makes every effort for stories to be accurate upon publication. Mistakes brought to our attention will be corrected, but entire stories will not be removed.
SOURCES
Eater obtains news and content from a variety of sources. Some of our sources do not wish to be named, and our policy is to honor such requests and keep these sources anonymous without exception. Please note that our general policy is that we do not provide compensation for tips.
Professional Appearances
Our editors and news writers are often asked to appear in a professional capacity as experts on various television, news, radio, or other media. These appearances do not constitute endorsement of any products, companies, or services discussed.
Other Employment
Employees of Eater may not be otherwise employed by or receive compensation from restaurants and companies that they are likely to cover as part of their news beat, nor are they permitted to have any advisory role (paid or unpaid) at those companies.
Giveaways
From time to time, Eater will conduct contests and giveaways for readers on the site. We will post rules for each contest, which will be binding on contestants who decide to participate. While giveaways or contests may be sponsored by an advertiser or partner, they are not, and should never be considered, endorsements of the companies involved or their products.
