Bloggers should not be considered journalists

1
Bloggers should not be considered journalists

• Katherine Colville
• Student No. 2007931557

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What is a blogger?

• a person who keeps and updates a blog. 
• Blog an online diary a personal chronological
  log of thoughts published on a Web page also
  called Web log.
• Source Dictionary.com

3
Who is a journalist?

• Journalist a person who practices the occupation
  or profession of journalism.
• Source Dictionary.com
• A Journalist employs ethics and standards in
  their reporting.

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Essential Elements to Good Journalism

• Truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity,
  impartiality, fairness and public accountability
  as these apply to the acquisition of newsworthy
  information and its subsequent reportage to the
  public.
• Source(http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalism_et
  hics_and_standards)

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Reasons Why Bloggers Shouldnt be Considered
Journalists

• Most bloggers have had no training in journalism,
  in particular most are not aware of key
  journalistic standards, such as
• Traditional forms of journalistic writing
• They have not studied media law and ethics
• To present all sides of the story, in an unbiased
  manner
• To verify authenticity of information before
  publishing it
• To minimize harm (not to blatantly insult people
  online, as many bloggers seem to do)
• To write original articles of interest to the
  public.
• How could anyone possibly think that a blogger
  ranting about a topic which interests them is
  equivalent to journalism a profession that
  people study 3-4 years to achieve?

6
Freedom of Expression

• Article 27 of the Basic Law
• Hong Kong residents shall have freedom of
  speech, of the press and publication
• Article 16 of the BORO
• (2) freedom to seek, receive and impart
  information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of
  frontiers, either orally, in writing or in
  print
• Source Hong Kong Media Law, Weisenhaus, D. p. 4.

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• I am not arguing against a bloggers freedom of
  expression. I contend that a blogger does have a
  right to freedom of expression but they should
  not be considered a journalist (unless of course,
  the blogger happens to be a trained journalist).

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However

• Freedom of expression carries with it
  responsibilities
• Article 16 (3)
• The exercise of the rights provided for in
  paragraph 2carries with it special duties and
  responsibilities
• In particular, respecting the rights and
  reputations of others is important.

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Bloggers Behaving Badly

• Many bloggers sling accusations, with no proof,
  violating their right to freedom of expression
  and responsibility to respect the rights and
  reputations of others.
• Bloggers often use rude language which is
  definitely not a journalistic trait.
• Many bloggers do not use their real name eg.
  Bloggers calling themselves Guy Kawasaki,
  KMS2 or Phani (how accountable are they
  really, for what they write?). anonymity or
  wacky pseudonyms undermines their credibility
  (http//blogs.theage.com.au/mediablog/archives/200
  5/05/when_are_blogge_1.html)
• Companies appoint bloggers to represent their own
  interests (this isnt balanced representation, is
  it?)
• Many bloggers rip off other peoples work.

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Blog Sites - a Stage for Accusation Slinging

• Blog sites often become the forum for accusation
  slinging. Most blog sites do not have editors
  but this one did.
• In this article, a womens group accuses Jack
  Burkman, one of Washington's political
  consultants Burkman blew his
  fine-upstanding-Christian rep when he tried to
  pay cash for two young lesbians to have sex with
  him.
• These allegations were made after Burkman
  apparently insulted a guest, Rachel Sklar on
  MSNBC cable news.
• While this blog site does have an editor, the
  editor disclaimed at the bottom of the article
  Editors note, 9/28/06 I have not independently
  verified this story. As noted above, I am simply
  recounted it as it appeared on the widely-read
  Wonkette blog.
• If this was a real news agency, abiding by
  defamation laws, then surely the editor would
  verify the facts before publishing the story?
• Source http//www.wimnonline.org/WIMNsVoicesBlog/
  ?p267

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Case Study

• In 2005 a California Judge ruled that three
  bloggers who published leaked information about
  an Apple product had to reveal their confidential
  sources.
• This ruling indicates that the bloggers are not
  considered real journalists, as they are not
  protected from any shield laws.
• According to court papers the company says the
  people who run these sites aren't legitimate
  members of the press.
• Source http//www.businessweek.com/technology/con
  tent/mar2005/tc2005037_7877_tc024.htm

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Other Peoples Views on Bloggers

• Professional blogger Lockhart Steele is the
  managing editor for Gawker Media's portfolio of
  Web logs. He also runs a quippy New York real
  estate blog called Curbed.com that solicits
  reader tips. He made it clear he did not
  consider himself a journalist. "I don't have time
  to do the fact-checking you do.
• Source http//www.businessweek.com/technology/co
  ntent/mar2005/tc2005037_7877_tc024.htm

13
Code of Conduct Needed for Bloggers

• Two leading citizens of the Web, Tim O'Reilly
  and Jimmy Wales, have proposed a "Bloggers Code
  of Conduct." The reason for this code is the
  phenomenon of people posting extremely nasty
  verbal comments about other people on Web sites
  devoted to political and social commentary.
• http//www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/dhenninge
  r/?id110009929

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• Blogging is a "solipsistic, self-aggrandizing,
  journalist-wannabe genre," writes David Shaw in
  the Los Angeles Times. Shaw, who won a Pulitzer
  Prize in 1991 for his media criticism, declares
  that bloggers are "practitioners of what is at
  best pseudo-journalism" and that "many
  bloggers--not all, perhaps not even most--don't
  seem to worry much about being accurate."
  (Emphasis added.)
• http//www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2005/0523/228.ht
  ml

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To Conclude

• Bloggers do not write or act according to
  journalistic standards and ethics.
• Bloggers do have a right to freedom of expression
  but they most definitely shouldnt be considered
  journalists and they should keep in mind the duty
  to write responsibly and respect the reputations
  of others.
• Bloggers often rant on about a topic that
  interests them, giving only one point of view.
• Bloggers often use the web as a forum for
  slinging accusations at one another.
• Bloggers are not journalists.

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• Bloggers have been likened to ordinary
  opinion-slingers, like barbers or bartenders,
  with no special responsibilities - or rights
• Bloggers have very little credibility and often
  do not give an accurate, fairly reported account
  of a story using any true journalistic methods.
• Source http//www.csmonitor.com/2005/0202/p03s02-
  usju.html