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Friday, January 21, 2005
The ethics of the blogosphere
The AP's Anick Jesdanun seems to think that bloggers simply do not have any ethical standards. In "Blogger Influence Raises Ethical Questions", Jesdanun writes:
The fact is that the AP and other mainstream outlets are frightened by the power of blogs and appear willing to do anything to undercut their credibility.
So far, many bloggers resist any notion of ethical standards, saying individuals ought to decide what's right for them. After all, they say, blog topics range from trying to sway your presidential vote to simply talking about the day's lunch.It is completely improper for Jesdanun to besmirch the name of many a good blogger simply because some in the blogosphere have acted unethically. I, along with many others, have taken the oath pledging that I have never received money for favorable coverage. Kos had a large disclaimer on his site when he was affiliated with the Dean campaign. Jerome shut down MyDD entirely.
Blogging is more like a conversation, and "you can't develop a code of ethics for conversations," said David Weinberger, a prominent blogger and research fellow at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society. "A conversation with your best friend would become stilted and alienating."
The fact is that the AP and other mainstream outlets are frightened by the power of blogs and appear willing to do anything to undercut their credibility.
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