Not all journalists blog. But all bloggers are not journalists.
I do both.
The blogging community needs to be aware of the pitfalls of online blogging journals. We cannot hide behind the profession of journalism and use it as our legal shield if we fail to uphold the standards for ethical journalism.
I have been threatened with a lawsuit in the past for a post on this blog. I received a demand letter from a lawyer and threatening letters into my email account. A lawsuit would have been thrown out. The blog contained verifiable facts which were checked and double-checked for accuracy. The supporting documents were available for the public. But lacking financial resources to mount a defense, this particular blog which received tremendous traffic and reader comments was returned to the drafts folder.
Bloggers cannot engage libel and slander and hide behind "anonymous sources". With just the skeletal details in the second link, my guess is I would have also sided with the jurors of this particular case.
But let's kick back for a moment and review the ethics of professional journalism. As stated previously, not all bloggers can rightfully claim to be journalists. The title is earned by consistent use of high professional and ethical standards. Those who use the digital age to produce disinformation and defraud the public need to feel the eyes on their backs.
April 7, 2008 blog
I have been threatened with a lawsuit in the past for a post on this blog. I received a demand letter from a lawyer and threatening letters into my email account. A lawsuit would have been thrown out. The blog contained verifiable facts which were checked and double-checked for accuracy. The supporting documents were available for the public. But lacking financial resources to mount a defense, this particular blog which received tremendous traffic and reader comments was returned to the drafts folder.
Bloggers cannot engage libel and slander and hide behind "anonymous sources". With just the skeletal details in the second link, my guess is I would have also sided with the jurors of this particular case.
But let's kick back for a moment and review the ethics of professional journalism. As stated previously, not all bloggers can rightfully claim to be journalists. The title is earned by consistent use of high professional and ethical standards. Those who use the digital age to produce disinformation and defraud the public need to feel the eyes on their backs.
April 7, 2008 blog
Link to article
Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com
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