Newswise — Bloggers and online journalists have grabbed the spotlight for reporting on breaking news " including political scandal " ahead of traditional journalism outlets such as newspapers and television stations. But what are the ethical issues at stake in this new reporting environment?
That's the question dozens of journalists and scholars will discuss at the first conference focused exclusively on the ethics of blogging and online journalism.
The conference, to be held April 7 " 8 at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, will jumpstart a dialog about the issue among professional reporters, college students and academics who study journalism trends and ethics.
Today's journalism students are the online reporters and bloggers of tomorrow, and they should know how to deal with the issues that can arise in this particular field, said Bernhard Debatin, associate professor of journalism at Ohio University. "There is not enough communication about journalism ethics, even more so about online journalism ethics, and we wanted to get student conversations going," said Debatin, an organizer of the event.
Keynote speakers at the conference will be Dan Gillmor and Clifford Christians. Gillmor, an award-winning journalist and columnist for the Financial Times, encourages the public to take on a greater role in the media by becoming involved in what he calls "citizen's media," possibly by creating their own blogs. Christians is a professor of journalism and media studies at the University of Illinois-Urbana and former director of the Institute of Communications Research. He has published a number of books on media ethics and responsibility. He advocates the need for truthfulness in the new media.
Though some have lauded blogs and online news outlets for their ability to break news fast and take more reporting risks than traditional journalism sources, others are wary of the ethical and professional pitfalls of the new media.
Online media often have no deadlines, and content can be posted immediately for everyone to see " sometimes without the oversight of an editor. Relying on hyperlinks, rather than investigating or including original material in an article, can erode the credibility of the writer and the media outlet.
Blogging has its own set of ethical problems, as some readers may not realize that the blog represents the writer's opinion, not hard news facts. At the conference, only political blogs will be considered, but the same ethical considerations apply to all kinds of blogs, from entertainment to even some private blogs.
The conference will include speakers, panelists and student participants from universities around the country and Canada, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The panel discussions and workshop sessions are designed to elicit student feedback and facilitate discussion.
The morning keynote sessions and panel discussions are open to the public, and Debatin encourages interested students, members of the public and news reporters to attend.
All events will be held in Anderson Auditorium, Scripps Hall, on Ohio University's Athens campus, unless noted. The following events also will be Webcast at http://www.ohiou.edu/ethics.
Friday, April 7:"¢ "We the Media: The Rise of Grassroots, Open-Source Journalism," a lecture by Dan Gillmor, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m."¢ Panel: "Ethics & Blogging," 2 to 4 p.m."¢ "Blogging from a War Zone," a special lecture by Robert Bateman, 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., 140 Bentley Hall.
Saturday, April 8:"¢ "Media Ethics in a Digital Age," a lecture by Clifford Christians, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m."¢ Panel: "Ethics & Online Journalism," 2 to 4 p.m.
Afternoon workshops are also open, but since space is limited, anyone interested in attending the workshop should contact the organizers in advance.
The conference is sponsored by Ohio University's Institute for Applied and Professional Ethics and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.
Written by Christina Dierkes.
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