'Unethical' Lonely Planet author not really that unethical after all, though he wants us to think so for the sake of promoting his own book

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-14-2008 @ 12:40PM

Randy said...

I've been following this discussion since it broke like most interested readers. I've been travelling incessantly for the better part of 30 years and have my likes and dislikes about guide books from all sources, not just LP. I've also been privy to some of the comments from within the publishing circle - some harsh, some -- surprisingly -- taking a 'so what' approach. Ethics aside for the moment, my question is a relaively simple one, and one I haven't seen addressed anywhere else: Was Kohnstamm's take on Colombia accurate? Did it differ demonstrably from what went before, or in other guide books on the subject? As for the comment above about Kohnstamm being a "...self-aggrandizing shill/hack...", it's called PR - Kohnstamm knows it and apparently so does his publisher. This entire situation will play out over the coming days and weeks, and, while not as 'pressing' as, say, Hillary v. Obama, it will have an impact on the industry. I, for one, believe it needs a bit of shake.

4-14-2008 @ 3:24PM

laradunston said...

I agree with Randy. All of the publicity this is getting is exactly what Thomas or more accurately his publisher wanted. This book is going to sell very well indeed. Everybody will read it out of curiosity, whether they want to or not.
I'm a former Lonely Planet author (of 25+ books and tonnes of other stuff), so I can support the Gadling writers by saying that most LP writers aren't like Thomas - gonzo journos or whatever you want to call them - one of my writer friends guessed perhaps 5% were, I reckon it's closer to 10%. Sure there are people abusing their positions and breaking the rules, and some people at LP know that - how could they not? Just as the folks in the office know who's rocking up to work late, taking long lunch breaks, leaving early, stealing the photocopy paper, and so on. And just as the boss might choose to ignore it, for whatever reason (while he's there he does a good job), so do LP staff. But Thomas is definitely an extreme example.
I am sad to see that readers' trust in guidebook writing is diminishing as a result, but, hey, I feel the same way they do about newspaper travel journalism. I'm fed up with reading plagiarised writing, regurgitated press releases, and glowing reviews about places the journalist has so obviously never been to, in so-called respected papers. Unfortunately it happens everywhere. Doesn't make it right. Like Randy I agree the industry needs a shake-up and this could be it.

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