tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-111625888449512416.post6184147520576662673..comments2023-09-23T10:17:21.090-04:00Comments on Jon Arnold's Analyst 2.0 Blog: How Bloggers and Journalists are DifferentJon Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682272532870959943noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-111625888449512416.post-56556339876820483782008-02-27T22:21:00.000-05:002008-02-27T22:21:00.000-05:00Posted by: PhoneBoy
There are some bloggers who a...Posted by: <a href="http://www.phoneboy.com">PhoneBoy</a><br /><br />There are some bloggers who act like good journalists. Conversely, there are some journalists who act like bad bloggers.<br /><br />When I hear journalists denouncing bloggers as not being journalists, it sounds a bit like sour grapes. Here are these riff-raff that weren't J-school trained and don't necessary adhere to journalism tenets and they're encroaching on the journalist's turf. <br /><br />Let's be clear about one thing: nobody holds a monopoly on sharing the truth with as wide of an audience as possible. Whether the information comes from a blogger or a member of the press, one always must consider the source of the material. Journalists are human, just like bloggers, and are subject to being influenced by external forces, for example the organization that employs them. <br /><br />Unlike the megaconglomerates that employ the vast majority of journalists--and can and do influence how stories are reported--at least a good blogger discloses their potential conflicts of interest.Jon Arnoldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06682272532870959943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-111625888449512416.post-57509030982758104562008-02-27T20:55:00.000-05:002008-02-27T20:55:00.000-05:00Posted by: Marcelo Rodriguez
Excellent points, Jo...Posted by: <a href="http://rf.com">Marcelo Rodriguez</a><br /><br />Excellent points, Jon. Unfortunately, your views don't seem to be shared by many in the technology blogging world.<br /><br />I've participated on a number of journalism panels relating to blogging, and have argued, often to much vocal opposition on the part of journalists, that bloggers are indeed journalists and should be accorded similar accommodations (press passes, etc.). I'm beginning to change my mind.<br /><br />The other day, I read a snippet of a blog from a CEO within the VoIP industry in which he admitted to having attended an international mobile technologies conference using a press pass. It got me to thinking: would this individual, whom I personally respect, be willing to take the sacrifices a journalist is asked to make. For example:<br /><br />1. Protect a source at any cost, including going to jail rather than divulge it;<br /><br />2. Give up any financial interests in any company that is either directly or indirectly affected by what the blogger writes about. I personally do not believe that declaring those interests is enough because we have no idea what ancillary interests may lurk in the background. The concept of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" could be at work; divulging only one of those "legs" does not give the reader a true picture of the potential conflicts. <br /><br />3. Refuse to accept gifts (including the right to keep hardware meant for reviews).<br /><br />The three above are (just a few) fundamental tenets of journalism. I don't believe they are applied by most bloggers. And until bloggers adopt well-defined standards and fundamental ethics policies by which they are held accountable, they are not journalists.Jon Arnoldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06682272532870959943noreply@blogger.com