The Debate Over Ethics Codes and the Blogosphere

When a scandal breaks at a newspaper or a magazine, editors often revise their ethics codes as a form of damage control. It's a relatively easy way to both save face, and assure lightning doesn't strike twice.

But what about blogs?

Most blogs are independent from the mainstream media. Many blog writers wouldn't have it any other way. That doesn't mean that some bloggers don't covet and court the respect and readers of traditional media.

But with over 58 million blogs, and nearly two more created every second, according to Technorati.com, the "blogosphere" isn't scandal-free.

Last September, The New Republic suspended editor and blogger Lee Siegel, after discovering he was commenting on his own work under a pseudonym, and attacking other readers.

In March, conservative blogger Ben Domenech resigned just three days after he began writing for the Washington Post. Other bloggers discovered that he had plagiarized part of a movie review he wrote for National Review Online. There were also allegations that his earlier writing in the College of William & Mary's student newspaper contained instances of plagiarism as well.

Clearly, the blogosphere is not without scandal. So don't blogs need some agreed-upon code of ethics to gain and retain public trust?

Not according to Lee Papa, the man behind popular political blog Rude Pundit ( www.rudepundit.blogspot.com ).

"What accomplishes anything like a "code of ethics" is the self-monitoring, self-corrective nature of the blogosphere." wrote Papa in a recent email. "People like Domenech and Siegel are outed quickly because the nature of the blog world is to seek truth and keep people honest."

Papa opposes placing something as traditional as ethics codes upon something as non-traditional as blogs.

"The idea of attempting to apply the same paradigm of standards to [blogs] will necessarily fail," wrote Papa, "because, unlike newspapers and academic writings, blogging is not static. I can go back and correct something I wrote two years ago and make it seem like it was always that way."

For Papa, self-policing is the only way blogs can maintain order amongst their own.

"I have a pretty solid belief in the need for the blogosphere to remain the Wild West," wrote Papa, "the frontier, if you will."

To be fair, looking just at the scandals involving Siegel and Domenech, the blog posse has a successful record. But anyone who has studied the history of the American West knows that better ways to maintain order and peace eventually have to be adopted.

A group like the Media Bloggers Association (mediabloggers.org) could be one possible answer.

The association of blogs, founded by Robert Cox, holds its members to a "Statement of Priciples," which includes honesty, accuracy, transparency and fairness. The group also shuns anonymous blogging, though they do make exceptions when there is a "clear and compelling reason."

In a recent email, Cox explained the difficulty of creating the statement of principles.

"Even the decision to form a committee to consider whether or not to have some "ethics" policy was contentious," wrote Cox. But in the end, Cox said he was happy with the outcome, and every member accepted the code.

Fellow MBA member J.D. Lasica and his team produced "a very good document that balances the need for the MBA, as an organization, to have a position on the issues mentioned in the document and the ethos of blogging," wrote Cox.

Launched in November 2004, with just 28 bloggers, Media Bloggers Association now has more than 1,000 members, though joining the group isn't easy. Aside from abiding by the group's principles, applicants must be nominated by an existing member, demonstrate a history of regular and frequent posts, and submit a written form, along with an explanation of why they would be good MBA members.

But with a membership that has grown to more than 35 times its original size in less than two years, membership is obviously worth the process to many, and with good reason.

Banding together in an unpredictable world makes as much sense now as it did to our prehistoric ancestors. Bloggers in a community like MBA get more protection, exposure and they can learn from one another.

The argument could be made that this type of blog conglomeration is just another form of self-policing, just with a bigger posse. But the association does far more than police its members. According to the site's "About" section, the group actively promotes, legally protects, and even attempts to educate its members.

Still, the Rude Pundit's Papa argues that groups like the MBA aren't necessary. "Childish as it seems, one of the reasons for the success of blogs," writes Papa, "is that they exist in this realm beyond the reach of most codes."

While Papa remains stoic on the issue, Cox is more flexible.
"Our position at the MBA continues to evolve and I am hardly an absolutist on these issues," writes Cox. "The entire medium is evolving and the MBA needs to stay abreast of new developments."