Blogosphere: Police thyself!
by Leigh Pomeroy
While the blogosphere is no doubt a loose, uncontrolled, "wild west" outpost of the internet, there are boundaries past which bloggers are treading on shaky ground. One is character assassination, regardless of whether the individual who is the subject of the post(s) is a private or public persona.
It is clear that "private" persons — those who generally stay out of the mainstream media — have more rights that "public" persons, such as entertainers, politicians and alleged crime perpetrators. One of the big drawbacks to an individual choosing to enter the political sphere is the reality that one's life suddenly becomes open to public scrutiny. In fact, this often inhibits wonderfully capable individuals from taking the step towards elective office.
I have been fortunate to know many good people who have chosen to become political candidates. I can't think of one who did so for purely personal or egotistical reasons. All cared deeply for certain positions they held, and they felt it their responsibility to promote those ideals by becoming engaged in our political system. They knew that public exposure is double-edged sword. On the one hand the media can validate and promote those positions. On the other it can expose the candidate or office holder and their family to the actions of those who might disagree, some of whom might be dangerously crazy.
It is time for the "wild west" component of the blogosphere to begin reining itself in. Just because it is not print or TV or radio doesn't mean it has the carte blanche right to perpetuate lies or perform character assassination. The political blogs in particular need to police themselves, not just the right critiquing the left or the left the right, but the right monitoring its own kind and the left doing the same.
It is only by these means that the blogosphere will remain free of constraint and open to the exchange of a wide range of ideas. For if the blogosphere does not, the courts, whom no doubt would prefer to stay out of it, will be forced by moneyed groups and their lawyers to place legal limits upon our current freedom of expression.
(NOTE: Please see "The Blog House: Not exactly raising the tone of political discourse" by Tim O'Brien in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, September 9, for a further discussion of this matter.)
While the blogosphere is no doubt a loose, uncontrolled, "wild west" outpost of the internet, there are boundaries past which bloggers are treading on shaky ground. One is character assassination, regardless of whether the individual who is the subject of the post(s) is a private or public persona.
It is clear that "private" persons — those who generally stay out of the mainstream media — have more rights that "public" persons, such as entertainers, politicians and alleged crime perpetrators. One of the big drawbacks to an individual choosing to enter the political sphere is the reality that one's life suddenly becomes open to public scrutiny. In fact, this often inhibits wonderfully capable individuals from taking the step towards elective office.
I have been fortunate to know many good people who have chosen to become political candidates. I can't think of one who did so for purely personal or egotistical reasons. All cared deeply for certain positions they held, and they felt it their responsibility to promote those ideals by becoming engaged in our political system. They knew that public exposure is double-edged sword. On the one hand the media can validate and promote those positions. On the other it can expose the candidate or office holder and their family to the actions of those who might disagree, some of whom might be dangerously crazy.
It is time for the "wild west" component of the blogosphere to begin reining itself in. Just because it is not print or TV or radio doesn't mean it has the carte blanche right to perpetuate lies or perform character assassination. The political blogs in particular need to police themselves, not just the right critiquing the left or the left the right, but the right monitoring its own kind and the left doing the same.
It is only by these means that the blogosphere will remain free of constraint and open to the exchange of a wide range of ideas. For if the blogosphere does not, the courts, whom no doubt would prefer to stay out of it, will be forced by moneyed groups and their lawyers to place legal limits upon our current freedom of expression.
(NOTE: Please see "The Blog House: Not exactly raising the tone of political discourse" by Tim O'Brien in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, September 9, for a further discussion of this matter.)
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