Blogging Code of Ethics
[July 28, 2008: As expected, here's Version 2.0 of this Code of Ethics. Updated 3, 4, and 7]
I have long admired ComputerWorld's deceptively simple Code of Ethics. Reading the venerable New York Times' Ethical Journalism Guidebook is almost as inspirational as a short seminar in journalism.
Blogs are entering the mainstream. This new medium offers an unruly blend of news, advice, gossip, and speculation. Some of this material is credible, some of it is not. Corporate-sponsored blogs, like this one, add yet-another ingredient into the mix. This has the potential to make it even harder for readers to assess the credibility of what they're reading.If blogs are to attain any recognition or credibility as a new form of journalism, they must follow a code of ethics specific to the demands posed by this new medium. Inspired primarily by the gold standard set by ComputerWorld, here's my attempt at a Code of Ethics for this blog:
