THIS IS MY BLOG! It will contain whatever *I* want to say. Remember, you are a GUEST. If you have some mental problem with my topics, words or personality, I suggest you click off my site and find something better to do on the Web.
Play nicely, or I will advertise your logged IP here for spammers to catch, along with banning it.
It makes NO sense. Even a child can see the potential for journalism to lose all credibility when bloggers are on the same pedestal as REAL journalism sources. There isn't the same accountability. Or ethics. Or training.
Kinda like using the National Enquirer for regular news.
So few people even THINK about checking sources. Heck, I still get scam e-mails that the sender didn't bother to check Snopes. And some of these people have been online since before me (this month marks 8 years.)
Last week, Lulu forwarded me an e-mail that contained incorrect info on Supreme Court nominee, Harriet Miers and admitted although she had not begun to research, she believed it.
Literally, a minute later, I found out via Google News that the "info" came from a SATIRE site. Still, it was potentially inflammatory, so it was already making the rounds on the Net. On Lulu's behalf, it WAS a fresh piece of gossip.
It's interesting to note the timing of this Yahoo! decision. This Friday, George Clooney's new film, "Good Night, and Good Luck," is on full release, and he is busy reminding people the power of journalism while he hawks his fact-driven movie.
Journalism is about facts, double-checking, sources and accountability. Even when the Big Guys -- like The New York Times, ABC, FOX, etc. -- screw up, at least there is accountability and ethics. Bloggers aren't in the same league with their op-ed pieces. Heck, will they even use their own names?
Unfortunately, many people who use the Net aren't smart enough to know the difference btwn fact and opinion. And that scares the hell out of me. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
10/11/2005 06:24:00 AM
