10: Code of Ethics for Bloggers

Citizen journalists: a title that has inspired much debate in our class so far this semester.  Many of these citizen journalists use blogging as their main platform.  I've always considered it a problem that citizen journalists did not operate under ethical codes like they would if they worked for NYT, WSJ, or any other media outlet.  How, other than the fruits of their labor, can we determine whether or not a blogger is ethical?

To some extent, material published on traditional media outlets' sites can be believed, though obviously this isn't always the case, and a skeptical eye is always a good idea.  Material published on a blog doesn't hold the same amount of inherent value because your average blog does not have the backing of an editing staff or the tradition of excellence enjoyed by mainstream sites.

I was a bit shocked to read Cyberjournalist.net's code of ethics for bloggers.  Admittedly, I probably would have known that this existed if I had done any digging on the subject.  But it's not a topic that I come into close contact with on a regular basis.

It's a great idea to try to unite bloggers to establish professional guidelines.  However, I do have a few reservations.

I wonder how far-reaching this code is.  Is this something that has gained a foothold in the blogging world, or is it an anomaly?  I would also like to know what percentage of bloggers try to use the code or others like it.

Even though the average blogger may not adhere to specific professional and ethical guidelines, creating a code is a good start toward establishing blogging as a credible platform.