There is on-going debate about whether social media platforms are the equivalent of a town square; where everyone has the right to stand on a soap box and say whatever they want, or whether the companies who own those platforms have some power as publishers with responsibility to police what is said on their platforms.
These are questions too complicated to answer in this short space, but there is another ethical question we can begin to answer at a smaller scale. What responsibility do we have as users to be transparent when publishing on social media channels or websites we control?
The question arises because the self-publishing age gives us the opportunity to make arguments, take positions, and even make money minus the constraints of traditional publishing. The opportunity exists in many different on-line spaces to publish without revealing conflicts of interest or financial interest.
There are those who see internet publishing as the Wild West where old fashioned rules do not apply, but we’d like to suggest you will get more mileage out of your internet publishing, and greater credibility, if you are transparent about your special interest in any topic you write about.
Bottom Line: If a reader discovers your motives only through their own sleuth work they are less likely to trust your posts in the future. If you are honest with them up front, they will appreciate your honesty, and will take your special interest into account when deciding whether your argument has merit.