Should bloggers be held to the same code of ethics as professional journalists?

by Stephanie Harwood

Created on: July 22, 2009

Should bloggers be held to the same code of ethics as professional journalists?

Bloggers who approach their work as citizen journalists take up a role that, in the United States, is intrinsic to the free speech outlined in the First Amendment of the Constitution and something considered essential in a democratic society. Journalism has grown from a fairly bare-fisted beginning into a profession expected to question and verify, to navigate forces that could push the story one way or pull it another, and to report clearly what it finds.

Because our society considers that what journalists report can change how lives are lived, laws have been developed to help journalism stay in line. Libel and slander laws vary by state and are updated in an ongoing process of successive legal precedents, but at their heart they address the fear of defamation and are a framework that publishers, editors and reporters can address through accuracy in verifying their source information. That writing a personal opinion is largely - but not always - protected does not make accuracy less important; some state laws examine accuracy of the facts underlying the opinion. A third law affecting journalism is copyright, which protects those who create tangible forms of expression from losing control over how their creation is used. In short, media laws and legal interpretations of the First Amendment try to protect the flow of information and discussion in the cultural marketplace, as well as the rights of the citizenry.

These laws reflect the importance and responsibility of journalism and it is also this sense of importance and responsibility that are reflected in journalistic ethics. Ethics are not laws; they are a body of tenets designed to provide guidance about doing what is felt to be right vs. wrong, regardless of whether it is legal or not. The Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics has been developed by SPJ members to serve "as a resource for ethical decision making" across all segments of the profession. The Code falls into four basic areas, each of which has a list of supporting actions:

1. Seek Truth and Report It. The list of do's and don'ts advocates accuracy, diligence, clarity, honesty, diversity, and a sense of responsibility.

2. Minimize Harm. The supporting points are respect, compassion, sensitivity, good taste, caution, judiciousness.

3. Act Independently. Avoid conflicts of interest and being compromised;

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