To Blog and Let Blog
by
Gail Fireman
Former part-time librarian at Hunt Library Reference, spring 2005
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
firemang@carnegielibrary.org

Although blogs have been around since the mid 1990s, many Americans’ first exposure to this rapidly expanding internet phenomenon occurred during the 2004 presidential elections when blogs became an overnight media sensation.  Media thinkers are calling 2004 the Year of the Blog and by the end of 2004, 32 million Americans reported reading blogs, a 58% jump in one year.[1]  Several universities have recently launched blog initiatives[2] and many involved in higher education believe that there exists a wide range of potential uses for blogging in teaching and learning.[3]

Through the fast-moving, interconnected “Blogosphere,” the exchange of ideas, information and rumors all travel with lightning speed. It was bloggers who brought about the resignation of online conservative reporter Jeff Gannon by exposing his real name and x-rated past,[4] helped force the resignation of CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan over off-the-record remarks about the U.S. military,[5] and hastened the retirement of CBS news anchor Dan Rather for his "60 Minutes II" exclusive by exposing as forgeries the National Guard documents used in his report on President Bush’s service record with the Guard.[6] All three of these instances demonstrate how powerful weblogs can be as a new form of “citizen’s media.”[7] 

Essentially, web logs, shortened to blogs, are online diaries that utilize a web site to post entries in reverse chronological order.  The author (blogger) often provides links to favorite sites accompanied by commentary, news articles, and photos.  A distinguishing feature of a blog is that readers may post their comments on the blog.  Usually past threads are archived and accessible to readers at any time.  Its currency, interactivity, ease-of-use, low-cost, and public nature make it a unique information outlet, and its interconnectedness fosters community and conversation.

Although the three examples discussed have a political focus, blogs cover an almost endless assortment of topics, reaching an ever expanding community of users. A vast cross-section of society—college students, techies, journalists, librarians, lawyers, corporations, teachers and celebrities, among others—are publishing blogs.  You’ll find blogs on poetry, a college student’s day-to-day experiences, hobbyists sharing information, law professors arguing constitutional law, companies marketing their products and, of course, the hugely popular political sites.  Most blog authors are passionate amateurs; many are experts in their own subject.

Several veteran bloggers have declared it time to establish a blogging code of ethics.  Jonathan Dube, managing producer at MSNBC.com and publisher of Cyberjournalist.net <http://www.cyberjournalist.net/>, has modified the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists to devise a list of standards called “A Blogger’s Code of Ethics.” Dube writes in the preface that “responsible bloggers should recognize that they are publishing words publicly, and therefore have certain ethical obligations to their readers, the people they write about, and society in general.”[8]  

“Blogging, Journalism and Credibility: Battleground and Common Ground” (WebCred) a conference held in January 2005 at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government,  sought to explore the blogging mediascape, the question of blogging ethics and its impact  on information distribution and information-seeking behavior. Jay Rosen, chair of the Department of Journalism at New York University and a presenter at WebCred, argued that as bloggers move away from opinion writing and become what he calls “citizen-journalists,” they will inevitably struggle with the same ethics questions as traditional media.[9]

An issue that continually rises to the surface of any discussion of blogging and credibility is the issue of transparency, the notion that bloggers need to reveal where they stand on an issue they’re writing about, their sources, methods, and any commercial affiliations they may have.

Rebecca Blood, in an excerpt from her 2002 Weblog Handbook gives her view:

Weblogs are the mavericks of the online world.  Two of their greatest strengths are their ability to filter and disseminate information to a widely dispersed audience, and their position outside the mainstream of mass media. . . . and the very things that make weblogs so valuable as alternative news sources—the lack of gatekeepers and the freedom from all consequences—may compromise their integrity and thus their value.[10]

Karen Schneider, Director of the Librarian’s Index to the Internet <http://www.lii.org/> and blog author of Free Range Librarian <http://www.freerangelibrarian.com/> argues that so far the various proposed codes boil down to these concepts: transparency, fairness, always cite it, and “if you broke it – you fix it.”[11]

Dave Winer creator of Scripting News <http://www.scripting.com/> has whittled it down even further to two rules for public writing:

·        Disclose all pertinent information about your possible conflicts of interest.

·        Never state as fact something you know not to be true.

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.  Some bloggers argue “that the nature of the medium makes it self-policing. Unlike TV viewers and newspaper readers, blog readers can and do respond instantaneously, especially when they see an inaccuracy.”[12]

Not all bloggers are resisting efforts to establish at least some guidelines to follow.  In the true spirit of blogging, Martin Kuhn, doctoral student at the University of North Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communication has set up <http://blogethics2004.blogspot.com/> to conduct his research on ethics in the blogosphere where he is gathering opinions, insight and feedback from active bloggers.  Based on his research and the responses from the site, he has revised C.O.B.E. (a proposed Code of Blogging Ethics).[13]

As increasing numbers of higher education institutions are integrating blogs into their curriculum and information infrastructure, questions concerning guidelines, responsibility, and ethics will intensify as another layer is added to the complicated labyrinth of ethical questions confronting academic institutions.

________________________________________________________________

Rebecca Blood’s Code of Ethics from the Weblog Handbook (2002). Each of these standards is developed more fully in her book:

1.      Publish as fact only that which you believe to be true. If your statement is speculation, say so.

2.      If material exists online, link to it when you reference it. Linking to referenced material allows readers to judge for themselves the accuracy and insightfulness of your statements.

3.      Publicly correct any misinformation.

4.      Write each entry as if it could not be changed; add to, but do not rewrite or delete, any entry.

5.      Disclose any conflict of interest.

6.      Note questionable and biased sources.

 

Martin Kuhn’s Revised Code of Ethics, including an explanation for his revisions:

Dube and Blood base their codes largely on values associated with the journalistic function of blogs. If their codes are used, then bloggers will have more credibility and be trusted to a higher degree by the public, but this view may be too limited.

One thing bloggers have in common is the form of the blog (time-stamped posts, comments, blogrolls, links, etc.). This is the blogosphere’s common denominator and thus any proposed code of ethics should prioritize the values and duties associated with the rhetorical form of blogging

 

Promote Interactivity

·        Post to your blog on a regular basis

·        Visit and post on other blogs

·        Respect blog etiquette

·        Attempt to be entertaining, interesting, and/or relevant

Promote Free Expression

·        Do not restrict access to your blog by specific individuals or groups

·        Do not self censor by removing posts or comments once they are published

·        Allow and encourage comments on your blog

 

Strive for Factual Truth

·        Never intentionally deceive others

·        Be accountable for what you post

Be as Transparent as Possible

·        Reveal your identity as much as possible (name, photo, background info, etc.)

·        Reveal your personal affiliations and conflicts of interest

·        Cite and link to all sources referenced in each post

Promote the Human Element in Blogging

·        Minimize harm to others when posting information

·        Promote community by linking to other blogs and keeping a blogroll

·        Build relationships by responding to e-mails and comments regularly

 

If you would like to comment on this essay please visit Gail Fireman’s blog at: http://friendlyscowler.blogspot.com/.