Modul Mata Kuliah Journalisme Online - Ayo Menulis FISIP UAJY

Should bloggers attempt to verify information before publishing it?
When reading a newspaper one can safely assume that Newspapers have checked their facts. When
accusations are made it can therefore be assumed that all attempts have been made to verify them. The
same is not true for blogs. Colin (2004) argues that blogs do not attempt to offer objectivity. He argues
that should they attempt this, boring blogs would result. However he also states that if bloggers aspire
to the status of media outlets, then the responsibilities and obligations associated need to be adhered
to.
A Bloggers Code of Ethics?
If blogging is to be a form of journalism or play a role in the dissemination of information, then the
Journalistic code of Ethics is a good place to start in considering a Bloggers code of Ethics (Hiler, 2002).
The Journalistic code of Ethics is centered around the concept of trust. Many argue that there is a
growing amount of distrust for the mainstream media in todayâ€s society (Lasica, 2002).This is
evidenced by the strong following of online reporting on the recent Iraqi war. Many people turned to
the blogs of independent journalists and individuals in Iraqi for up to date unbiased reporting. The case
of Salam Pax is a famous example of an Iraqi man who provided the most immediate and honest
account of life during the war. Hiler (2002), states that while there is still great trust in traditional forms
of media, online journalism and blogs are gaining trust within the public sphere. He states that weblogs
are inherently unbiased and unedited and are therefore trustworthy. Since the underlying principle in
the Journalistic Code of Ethics is trust, then bloggers need a code of ethics with the same fundamental
principles.
Ethics is essential for both the online publication and the online journalist. Hiler suggests that the way of
the future could be that people donâ€t read publications, they will read journalists.
â€?I donâ€t read the New York Times, I read Paul Andrewsâ€?.
The need for a Bloggers Code of Ethics has been acknowledged and recognized and John Hiler has the
begun the process. Outlined below is a drafted Code of Ethics.
A Proposed Blogging Code of Ethics
1. Amateur Journalists are inherently biased. What's crucial is not pure objectivity, but full disclosure. It
is the responsibility of Amateur Journalists to fully disclose their agenda and background somewhere on
their site. If a particular aspect of their background is especially relevant to a particular subject, that bias
should be highlighted in any article on that subject.
2. Caveats are critical online. Accuracy is still important, but sometimes it's OK to print information that
you haven't confirmed with multiple sources. Just make sure that you label it as such. Never ever publish
information that you know not to be true. And if there's any doubt as to the accuracy of the
information, caveat it clearly so that it's clear.