Role Reversal in New Media Ethics

The state of journalistic ethics is in as big of a crisis as the state of the news industry.  

My brother, Jack, reads the newspaper.  As a philosophy PhD student at Princeton University, Jack has an old spirit that compels him to continue the old tradition of awkwardly flipping and folding the (ever-shrinking) newspaper.  To him, the newspaper brings a bit of nostalgia; its a symbolic remembrance to a time when everyone turned to the morning edition for yesterday's news.

But the times are changing.  

Yesterday's news is no one's business anymore.  Gone are the days where businessmen and women tucked newspapers under their arms while boarding the train to work or catching a cab.  Pocket-sided iPhone and BlackBerries have replaced the conduit with which news in accessed.  Now more than ever, new media allow for news consumers to access and produce information from anywhere, to anyone, about any specific topic, at virtually anytime.

A crazy influx of material is cascading onto the Web.

And with that influx -- specifically the ever-expanding blogosphere, increased twitter feeds, and a greater reliance on reader-comments even in large-scale media corporations -- the dynamics of journalism are making a necessary adjust.  The definition of journalism itself is in question these days, as ethics are re-evaluated and reconstructed to better fit the internet and other new media outlets.

Journalism ethics. 

To me, journalism ethics are long overdo for a good shake and reconstruction.  Today's society is no longer satiated with the archaic rules journalists follow such as objectivity, two-source stories, etc. Some ethic standards will remain.  Transparency, a loyalty to the people and readers and transparency, I believe, will transcend the times.  News consumers will still demand journalism that hunts for the truth.  However, truth, in all its glory, is quite imaginary.  Reporters print stories based almost completely on the opinions of interviewees and those people that reporters talk to make the news.

But now,  with an absorbent medium such as the Web, the truth can get a little closer, despite the fact that many standard ethical practices are getting tossed out the window.  In the world wide web everyone's opinion matters.  In effect, the potential to reach a truth is heightened because everyone's intellect is expressed freely, raising the communal potential for higher understanding and conscience. 

Of course, the downside is intermixed with the brilliant intellectual thought and opinion will be even more bullshit.  Because of the limitless nature of the internet, and every can do it web pages with, a lot of unnecessary commentary will fill part of the internet space. 

But I believe that bullshit will be pushed to the fringes of the Web arena, as stuff that is more meaty, more true and more real will sift to the top as user seek for things that are truthful, honest, and personally related to the consumer.

When Jack, my brother, finishes reading the newspaper and is ready to get the real information he needs from the world, he turns to a different media. 

Blogs and online journals.  

Jack says the best information for him on the Web is created by individuals who have the time and aspiration to teach others about what they are good at.  Philosophy Etc., for example, is one of the primary blog sites Jack utilizes to learn about important up and coming philosophical issues.  The blog is run by another Princeton philosopher who dedicates five to seven hours a day researching and publishing quality work in philosophy for his blog.  Quickly the blog has gained reputable support from other philosophers in the department, and is becoming an accredited source for good philosophy.

That stuff is Jack's real news, personally important to him.

And each individual in the world may find news in a different light.

But each individual should have the right to access important information to him or her, that is tailored and uncensored by traditional journalism ethics to help bring the search for truth closer to its objective by releasing conventional obstacles that have long stood in the way.  In simpler language, I believe journalism ethics have blocked truth by inhibiting the way in which information is presented.  Limiting opinion in writing, limits the power of thought and search for truth.

View the following video for more information on how and why blogs are influential: 

But what if the death of newspapers kills news?

Some, such as Tony Rogers of About.com Guide to Journalism, worry the death of the newspaper may be linked to the death of news itself.  Without a solid foundation for objective, investigative reporting done by folks who follow a strict guideline for news production some argue news itself will get lost.  

News is a critical component of a democracy, commonly held as the Fourth branch of our government.  Reporting news keeps power holders in check and accountable and gives the public a way to learn and hear about the giant power holders in a society.  Without news, the foundation of democracy sits on a slippery slope.

However, others, such as writers from the Online Journalism Review hold a different opinion that suggests perhaps blogging and the emergence of the digital newsroom actually heightens the integrity of reporting and brings to bear stronger, more powerful quality reporting because of the limited traditional standards.  People are going above and beyond conventional limitations such as ethics codes, in other words, to get the best story.