The ethics of blogging

New forms, new voices anda new model of verification

What is a blog?

• Is it journalism?

What is a blog?

• Diary-style, updated in reverse chronological order (almost always)

What is a blog?

• Diary-style, updated in reverse chronological order (almost always)

• Opinion rather than reporting (usually but not always)

What is a blog?

• Diary-style, updated in reverse chronological order (almost always)

• Opinion rather than reporting (usually but not always)

• Comments (usually but not always)

What is a blog?

• Diary-style, updated in reverse chronological order (almost always)

• Opinion rather than reporting (usually but not always)

• Comments (usually but not always)• Amateurs and citizen journalists

(less so all the time)

Questions

• Are blogs an alternative to the mainstream media?

Questions

• Are blogs an alternative to the mainstream media?– A supplement, not an alternative. Bloggers

and mainstream media need each other.

Questions

• Are blogs an alternative to the mainstream media?

• How many blogs are there?

Questions

• Are blogs an alternative to the mainstream media?

• How many blogs are there?– Technorati says something like 100 million.

But blogs about media, politics, and news probably number in the thousands.

Questions

• Are blogs an alternative to the mainstream media?

• How many blogs are there?• What are some of your favorite blogs?

Who’s credible?

Who’s credible?

A new I.F. Stone

Talking Points Memo reaches more readers, at far less cost, than I.F. Stone’s Weeklyever did

What are the real issues?

• New, independent voices

What are the real issues?

• New, independent voices• People are unsure about how to judge

credibility

What are the real issues?

• New, independent voices• People are unsure about how to judge

credibility• Heavy on commentary, light on

reporting — a “conversational” model

What are the real issues?

• New, independent voices• People are unsure about how to judge

credibility• Heavy on commentary, light on

reporting — a “conversational” model• Mainstream media feel threatened

Monica Lewinsky

Newsweek held the story — until the Drudge Report caught wind

Trent Lott

The MSM were ready to give him a pass for his racist past. Bloggers forced the issue into the light.

Dan Rather

Bloggers were hot on his trail. But it took the MSM to show that the National Guard documents were probably fake.

Terri Schiavo

Conservative bloggers accused Democrats of “dirty tricks.” In fact, a disturbing memo was written by one of their own.

War bloggers

Michael Yon and others create the impression that the mainstream media are losing Iraq

Gatekeepers no longer

• An editor’s job is to decide what meets journalistic standards

Gatekeepers no longer

• An editor’s job is to decide what meets journalistic standards

• Now, if an MSM outlet won’t run with something, a blogger will

Gatekeepers no longer

• An editor’s job is to decide what meets journalistic standards

• Now, if an MSM outlet won’t run with something, a blogger will

• MSM standards– Verification– Fairness– Correcting errors

Case study:Greensboro, N.C.

• City of 240,000, third-largest in state• Daily newspaper, The News-Record,

a pioneer in Web journalism• Local blog network,

Greensboro101.com, is independent and has many contributors

Lex Alexander

“Blogging as a medium doesn't require collaboration; a blogger with information can act unilaterally.”

A different kind of verification

• Kovach and Rosenstiel: the “journalism of verification” versus the “journalism of assertion”

A different kind of verification

• Kovach and Rosenstiel: the “journalism of verification” versus the “journalism of assertion”

• Bloggers often engage in the “journalism of assertion”

A different kind of verification

• Kovach and Rosenstiel: the “journalism of verification” versus the “journalism of assertion”

• Bloggers often engage in the “journalism of assertion”

• Bloggers’ “journalism of verification” looks different from what’s practiced by the mainstream media

A different kind of verification

• Mainstream media– Reporting takes place before publication or

broadcast– “If your mother tells you that she loves you,

check it out”– Make sure facts are accurate and story is

complete

A different kind of verification

• Mainstream media• Bloggers

– Publish information as it becomes available– Ask readers to help — “crowdsourcing”– Expand, revise and correct incrementally

Case study: U.S. attorneys

• Talking Points Memo ran a story about one prosecutor

Case study: U.S. attorneys

• Talking Points Memo ran a story about one prosecutor

• Readers sent in more stories

Case study: U.S. attorneys

• Talking Points Memo ran a story about one prosecutor

• Readers sent in more stories

• A new type of investigative reporting

Case study: Ron Paul

• New York Times blogger reports the blog buzz alleging neo-Nazi and white-supremacist ties

Case study: Ron Paul

• New York Times blogger reports the blog buzz alleging neo-Nazi and white-supremacist ties

• Whacked with a dread “Editor’s Note”

Case study: Ron Paul

• New York Times blogger reports the blog buzz alleging neo-Nazi and white-supremacist ties

• Whacked with a dread “Editor’s Note”

• Isn’t this standard blogging practice?