To whom are journalists indebted? Both recent controversy and technological advancement have raised the familiar specter of journalistic obligation once again.
Economically, journalists are indebted to their editors and papers, who pay the rent. Ethically, they are personally accountable — though some fall short of the rigorous standards demanded by the public. Ultimately, as Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel compellingly argue in their "Elements of Journalism," journalists are first and foremost obligated to serve the citizenry.
Kovach and Rosenstiel's theory is the one that holds great promise in contemporary media circles. As citizens turn to alternative forms of media, however, their theory struggles in defining the obligation of these new media avenues.
The evolution of new forms of media, heralded as a democratizing factor in an increasingly elitist information environment, could serve to have other ramifications. The growth of Internet news sources raises entirely new questions and problems for both the readers and purveyors of news media.
Nowhere else are these questions more acutely portrayed than in the world of politicized Internet blogging. The widespread growth of Internet news and opinion writing, while positive in the sense of democratization, also lend themselves to vitriolic attack and outright fabrication while hiding behind a veil of anonymity.
While the use of anonymity in the media is nothing new — examples of such behavior are omnipresent in the study of American journalistic history from the colonial period onward — the power of the modern media demands journalistic accountability.
Oppressive British rule made the use of pseudonyms essential in presenting the case for colonial independence, but the modern political environment is a thoroughly different one. While the cases for anonymity in the publication of the "Federalist Papers," John Dickinson's "American Farmer" letters, and even Franklin's "Silence Dogood" letters are clear — fear of physical and political retribution prompted their use of pseudonyms –modern bloggers have a much more difficult case to prove in their argument for secrecy.
The popularity of the Internet as a mass medium over the past decade has given demagogues on both sides of the political aisle unprecedented clout. Several issues present themselves as counterarguments to those of bloggers tempted to claim First Amendment protection for the use of pseudonyms.
The first responsibility of bloggers offering political commentary is to their readership. The freedom to editorialize, while crucial to public discourse, demands the identification of the editor. Bloggers, though representative of an entirely new form of media, must seriously consider the role of the traditional media as laid out by Kovach and Rosenstiel.
Furthermore, the development of the Internet into a major medium brings new constraints to its users. While bloggers with an explicitly political agenda are afforded the same rights to free speech as all other media venues, they may also soon be liable for prosecution under libel laws. The Delaware Supreme Court recently heard arguments to this effect. Their ruling will provide crucial precedent as to the protective power of Internet anonymity in regards to false, malicious speech.
The identification of the millions of anonymous and opinionated writers that populate Internet message boards, newsgroups and personal websites may initially seem to be the pipe dream of an impassioned idealist. Nevertheless, major news organizations have lent their support to the cause of digital news attribution, demanding names and contact information for individuals interested in offering their opinion on posted stories.
The dawn of a new media age demands the reassessment of both honesty and accountability. Growing popular media capability, heralded as a shining light of democracy and public opinion, has proven to have a dark underbelly. Both the government, through legal means, and bloggers, through ethical ones, must confront the questions raised in regards to anonymity and personal responsibility.
Gabe Cohen ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in journalism and history.