What Bloggers Can Learn From Journalists
Most bloggers do not have a journalistic background. And in truth, it hasn’t been necessary in the past. The concept behind blogging in general is to share information and opinions with the world at large under the well-known caveat that it comes from an individual rather than an accredited source of some sort. However, with more and more bloggers finding themselves under the microscope of media attention (as round-the-clock organizations reach out data-collecting tendrils and latch onto blogs as a means to fill their curriculum), it has become rather important to take a page from the handbook of journalistic integrity in order to protect against possible retribution.
Anyone who watched the Shirley Sherrod debacle is probably aware that it was all started by a blogger who edited the clip of her speech in order to misrepresent what she had said. Of course, the story exploded into a worldwide media frenzy that ended with Sherrod’s forced resignation (until the truth was exposed). And while no legal action has yet been taken against the blog or its owner, this incident begs the questions: Should bloggers be treated as journalists (and perform as such)?
Clearly, journalism and blogging are different beasts, but we are rapidly approaching a time when someone writing their own opinion for public consumption is going to offer false information that leads to a lawsuit. And while most journalists have an organization to hide behind, a blogger who is sued for the same issues will stand alone. So it would greatly behoove the bloggers of the world to take note: knowledge of journalistic practices may just save your skin!
There are a few things activities journalists engage in that bloggers may want to adopt. They check their facts. And they don’t check them by going to other websites to see what everyone else is saying. They use primary sources, interviews, and other accredited fact-gathering organizations to ensure that what they say is the truth. If they are good journalists, they also try to get both sides of the story. For example, Sherrod was never approached to give an account of the story until after it had spread. A lot of trouble for this poor lady could have been avoided had anyone bothered to find out what was really going on. Clearly, this was a failure on the part of all parties involved, and many of the journalists involved made public apologies (something the blogger has yet to do). This leads to a point on responsibility in the media, which by the way, blogging is a part of. It means that those who wish to give information to the public need to make every effort to ensure that they are being accurate and factual to the highest degree.
Finally, there are laws that protect people from libel. It pays to understand those laws so that you don’t find yourself breaking them. Simply stating that you are giving your opinion is not always enough of a disclaimer, especially if you are making accusations about others that have no basis in fact. So you may want to take a class or read a book to understand what is considered passable, and what will land you in court. Journalists have been treading this landscape for far longer than bloggers, and as a result, they have practices in place to protect them. While bloggers do not enjoy all of the safeties afforded to journalists, they can certainly do a lot more to ensure that they are not the recipient of legal action due to a journalistic misstep by simply following in the footsteps of their forbearers.
Kyle Jameson is a writer for scented candles, where you can find an amazing assortment of high end brands at competitive prices.
