Re: NY Times: Get the Tech Scuttlebutt! (It Might Even Be True.)

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Amy Wohl" <amy () wohl com>
Date: June 8, 2009 3:48:12 PM EDT
To: <dave () farber net>
Subject: RE: [IP] NY Times: Get the Tech Scuttlebutt! (It Might Even  
Be True.)

Dave,

Bloggers are not created equal any more than journalists (Pulitzer  
Prize winners are a lot different than the guy who writes the obits or  
the gossip column).  And weekly country papers don’t have the  
resources or the guidelines of the New York Times.

The problem is, bloggers don’t seem to have rules.  Some of us come  
out of formal backgrounds – you need sources (even if you can’t reveal  
them); opinions must be plainly noted as opinions not facts;  
speculation is fine as long as it’s clear that you’re thinking (or  
dreaming) out loud.

Other bloggers, drawn by the heat of the moment and the ease of  
blogging (and it is and should be easy to blog) write whatever they  
please without understanding that on the web everyone can see it and  
it will stay there (on your blog or somewhere else) forever.  You bear  
some responsibility for the words that appear over your name.

We’ll never get this entirely sorted out (even the big papers have  
their occasional scandals), but we do need some rules.  I would  
recommend for a start:

·         Of course, anyone can blog.  This is a first amendment right.
·         Bloggers should understand that their credentials will  
ultimately depend on what they write and what people think about it.   
Therefore, if you’re writing a serious blog you might consider  
offering your credentials and name (unless that is dangerous for you  
and would not permit you to write freely).  Anonymous bloggers might  
consider offering a reason for why they blog anonymously.
·         Bloggers need to separate facts, opinions, and  
speculations.  If you don’t write based on facts, say so.  Lots of  
people like to read opinions, they just need to know that’s what’s  
going on.  You may write about all three, but in that case, a labeling  
convention is required.
·         When you are basing what you write on something you read  
elsewhere, give credit; better yet, link to the source.  The purpose  
of being on in is being able to access the original material.

Maybe we need to have different names for different kinds of  
bloggers?  After all, we don’t call gossip columnists or book  
reviewers “journalists.”  We reserve that term for those who research  
a story and spend the time to write about it carefully.  Often, they  
spend long periods of time in a specific area – politics, healthcare,  
science, technology –developing a network of contacts and some level  
of familiarity, if not expertise, allowing them to identify, develop,  
and write their stories.

There are bloggers who do that.  We need to give them credit (and  
credence) while enjoying other blogs for what they are.  It’s fun to  
gossip and speculate; it’s just not news.


Amy D. Wohl
Editor, Amy Wohl's Opinions
40 Old Lancaster Road, #608
Merion, Station, PA 19066
610-667-4842
amy () wohl com
www.wohl.com




From: David Farber [mailto:dave () farber net]
Sent: Sunday, June 07, 2009 6:44 PM
To: ip
Subject: [IP] NY Times: Get the Tech Scuttlebutt! (It Might Even Be  
True.)



Begin forwarded message:

From: "Jonathan B Spira" <jspira () basex com>
Date: June 7, 2009 5:48:56 PM EDT
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: NY Times: Get the Tech Scuttlebutt! (It Might Even Be True.)


Dave

The New York Times' coverage of rumor-mongering in blogs is perhaps  
well intentioned but ultimately the article is as flawed as the  
concept of printing words masquerading as news articles without the  
benefit of fact checking.

The fact that the writers of posts around the possibility of Apple  
purchasing Twitter (which was completely unfounded) suspected the  
story was false and they didn't care does little to advance the cause  
of bloggers.  The fact that the Times journalist, Damon Darlin, seems  
to celebrate news gathering without fact checking - given recent  
events in the New York Times' own history - is irresponsible.

Bloggers (whatever that term actually means right now) claim they want  
to be recognized as a form of legitimate media but a formal admission  
that "'Getting it right is expensive' [but] 'Getting it first is  
cheap'" is the m.o. does little to advance the cause.

Article is at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/business/media/07ping.html?hpw

Regards/Mit freundlichen Grüßen/Szívélyes üdvözlet/Cordialement/ 
Cordiali saluti/Saludos/Vänliga hälsningar

/s/ Jonathan
Jonathan B. Spira
CEO and Chief Analyst
Basex, Inc.
8 www.basex.com


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