US: New ethics in blog age, says Slate editor

Posted by Rory Satran on October 16, 2006 at 10:32 AM

Blogs and Internet news are ushering in a new brand of ethics, said panelists at a recent Reuters Newsmaker event. Media biggies such as Star editor Bonnie Fuller, Slate editor Jacob Weisberg, and political commentator Hilary Rosen convened to discuss the ethical challenges for journalists reporting in an increasingly sensationalist celebrity climate.

Because many blogs and gossip sites are free of the ethical and legal constraints of traditional media, they are able to break stories that would have once been considered inappropriate.

Panelists referenced the recent Foley scandal on Capitol Hill. The media pounced on the story of former Republican congressman Mark Foley, who sent improper emails to male congressional pages. The Foley case was brought up as an example of a story that was blown out of proportion due to the Internet.

As blogs and non-traditional media scoop stories that involve the private lives of public figures, print reporters are often left behind, saddled by the ethics of “old media.” Is the shift to no-holds-barred reporting inevitable? Should mainstream media try and maintain a certain code of conduct for reporting on public figures?

Said Slate’s Jacob Weisberg: "I very much agree that we need to have standards, but I think that in practical terms, we don't control what people find out anymore."

Source: Reuters