Posting News Online: Same Rules Apply

Journalism may be at the crossroads in its figurative future, but that doesn’t mean journalistic standards are too, especially online standards. In an article entitled Online Standards versus Journalistic Standards, the “Ten Commandments of News,” include:

1) Lie in print or on the air

2) Lie to threaten a source

3) Report rumors or other unverified information

4) Suppress or omit opinion with which one disagrees

5) Show favoritism  or personal bias in one’s reporting or writing.

6) Misrepresent oneself or use deception to get a story

7) Plagiarize words or ideas

8) Tap or tape telephone conversations without permission

9) Use one’s positioning for personal gain (i.e. accepting gifts from sources)

10) Do anything that may be construed as a “conflict of interest”

According to the same article, online news confuses the boundary between gossip and news, saying that sometimes reporters are tempted to “blur the lines” so to speak. With the proliferation of blogs and bloggers, many individuals  are taking their views to the web. Sad to say, many of these individuals show little regard for facts, posting what they “believe” to be fact, which is in reality only gossip. It’s also sad to say, that these gross misrepresentations leave a bad mark on the journalism profession. So, what’s to be done?

Internet or not, there are still standards to follow. These standards are called “Netiquette”. These rules are for EVERYBODY that considers themselves to be web users.  They are as follows (courtesy of Online Standards versus Journalistic Standards)

1) Remember the human

2) Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life

3) Know where you are in cyberspace

4) Respect other people’s time and bandwidth

5) Make youself look good online

6) Share expert knowledge

7) Help keep flame wars under control

8) Respect other people’s privacy

9) Don’t abuse your power

10) Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes