In the latest issue of the AAEA Byline (you’ve got to be a member to read it) there’s an article on ethics called “Beware The Ethics Swamp.” It’s written by Elaine Shein. I think this is a great subject to do a series of articles on. Perhaps we should invite articles on the topic from multiple authors so we get different perspectives. Why? Because it’s so easy to get a one-sided view of an issue from one source. In this article Elaine writes about a presentation from a Nick Russell, who is apparently a retired professor of journalism ethics in Canada.

I get the impression that Russell is one of those traditional journalist guys who got to the station too late to get on the clue train. For example, here’s a list of the problem areas in journalistic ethics he mentioned in a talk last fall. “Topics included polls, freebie trips, plagiarism, digital images, convergence and online journalism, particularly blogs.” Whoa. Not “the blogs.”

Here’s a selection from the story in a section called, “Web of Lies?,“Journalists should look at who writes information on the Web: what’s their expertise and agenda? Are they “wanna-be writers” in a world where the gatekeepers are gone? “There are no editors so they can do what they like,” warned Russell.” Sounds to me like you’re one frustrated journalist with no gate to keep anymore. That just comes across a little too arrogant for me.

How about this one. “And then there are weblogs or blogs where everyone can be a journalist or a critic. There is a great danger when audiences accept blogs as legitimate journalism. Blogs are not always accountable. Often they are daily, they invite reader input, they’re unedited, they show initiative and they often are easy to create with format templates.” Excuse me. Can you say, “I am so arrogant?” I guess we’re all just idiots and have no way of knowing the truth of what we’re reading. Gee I wish I had a gate keeper to sort out what I need to know for me.

Here’s a final one. “They are an online collection of short stories, Russell said, but he also stressed often they are “egotistic, self-centered” and rubbish.” Yeah. Well let’s look at some magazines, newspapers and look at and listen to some radio and tv. None of that egotistic, self-centered rubbish there, eh?

Sorry Mr. Russell but your ranting about blogs doesn’t leave me with any impression other than how arrogant you are. I’m glad you weren’t teaching at the college of journalism I graduated from. I’ve only been in the business for a little over 20 years but as a blogger I guess I’m just one of the people who left the gate open. Frankly, I accept and like the fact that it’ll never be shut again.