Ethic in the No Boundaries World
Internet become the new world that have no limit. Everythings you can find in that new world. Is it the perfect place for the journalist? Definetely yes. No boundaries for the story. On paper, radio, or television you have limitation. In the digital world, please write any stories, does not matter how long it takes, it will be publish.
If the website belongs to your company or agencies, so the stories will be cut in the editing process, it still doesn’t matter. You can publish your stories in your own blog. So the stories still deliver to public.
Before talking about open or disclose personal information on a blog, first of all, I choose to decided what the blog for and why we make a blog. And it has to be the first consideration. Because it will determine the next step.
If a journalist make a blog for professional reason, I think it is very important to share your personal information to show the quality of you. Such as your company, position in the company, education, and experiences. Personal information that people can assure who are you. From the personal information, readers of your blog can choose you as a legitimate source.
Personal opinions, I think it is allright. As long as you said that it is your own words not from your sources. So, if you publish your stories, the people can understand which is the fact, the sources, and your word.
In the other hand, if a journalist make a blog, just for fun or private blog, maybe being a secret admirer of someone, I think it is ver possible to disclose personal information. Or if you make a blog to share words with your friend. I think it is possible to disguise your personal information.
About the off-limit, I think the same with the real world, there is an ethic in the relationship in the internet. We still to be honest to the readers. Tell the people that where you quote from, who take your picture, how do you get the stories and etc.
Honestly is important so the internet will not misuse. Do you watch Green Zone movie? Film by Paul Greengrass that starring by Matt Damon give message that a journalist should responsible to their story. “Do you ever go there?” ask Miller (Matt Damon) to journalist from Wall Street Journal, Lawrie Dayne (Amy Ryan). Lawrie never go to the place that in her stories is became the place of Iraki Weapons of Mass Destruction. She never go there because she get the information from senior officer in the United States.
Lawrie is a journalist for print. But I think the principal are still the same. Cover both side, and check rechek. And we stil have ethic. Polite and respect to each other even we not meet face to face.
