Journalistic ethics

Mark 'Rizzn' Hopkins -  Citizen Journalism: Dangerous and Irresponsible

Mark Hopkins points to some ruffled MSM feathers lately. It seems that 'proper' journalists are getting mighty pissed-off at the amateur newcomers in New Media. This is Helen Thomas (I love the wicked picture quote) who, to be fair, has a long history of challenging Bush and has been a respected journalist in her time:

Q: Do you think technology is changing [journalism]? That a good reporter will always find a venue because there are so many media outlets now?
 
Thomas: No, but I do think it is kind of sad when everybody who owns a laptop thinks they’re a journalist and doesn’t understand the ethics. We do have to have some sense of what’s right and wrong in this job. Of how far we can go. We don’t make accusations without absolute proof. We’re not prosecutors. We don’t assume. Q: So if there’s this amateur league of journalists out there, trying to do what you do…
 
Thomas: It’s dangerous.

Helen Thomas, her senile dementia shielding her from the irony in the whole situation, goes on to make a lot of the same points that David Hazinski makes in his piece in the AJC. The most compelling points the Old Media seems to be making these days is that no one in the blogging community has the scruples to adhere to the “unwritten ethical principals” of the mainstream media.

I’ll give you a minute to compose yourself while you laugh out loud.