In fact, overall, the only points where we are in disagreement on all of these principles that is not directly connected to our lack of pretense toward "objectivity," is whether or not we should ask subjects of our posts for comments and responses before making a given post. And, in the end, I think that means that the only places where friction actually occurs is when people fail to appreciate the interactivity of the blogosphere, and consider blog posts to be the equivalent of articles published in newspapers or magazines. The notion that it is somehow a violation of trust and responsibility to not have all of one's facts sorted out, and all comments from all sources already prepared before the initial publication of a blog post fails to appreciate that a blog post is an ongoing process. Comments are added at the end of blog posts. Posts themselves are frequently edited and updates. Often, blog posts are made in response to other posts, and a discussion ensues. Unlike articles in other mediums, which are fixed to a far greater extent, a blog post is a living, evolving, entity. If all comments, edits, responses and updates to a blog post where published simultaneously with the original post, the blogosphere would be a profoundly static and lifeless place.This passage seems increasingly relevant to me the further along we move in the 2008 campaign. Basically, I am frequently stunned at how many readers of "short head" progressive blogs seem to demand complete neutrality on the 2008 Presidential race from "short head" bloggers. Further, I am stunned by how many people who are internet savvy enough to read progressive blogs on a regular basis consider front page posts on blogs like MyDD to be the equivalent of television segments or newspaper columns. There seems to be a strange notion that that the progressive blogosphere must somehow be "fair and balanced" on the 2008 campaign, and that we should simply report, while our readers make up their minds based on that reporting. This seems to be the instigating sentiment behind the diary currently on the top of the recommended list, for example.
Blog posts are alive in ways that posts in other mediums simply are not, and that should be taken into account when in an discussion of blogger ethics, responsibility, or accountability. The only reason you should be mad at a blogger for posting inaccurate information is if that person refuses to correct him or herself once evidence demonstrates s/he is wrong, or if that person did not even try to figure out the facts before publication. The only reason you should be mad at a blogger for not seeking a response from the subject of a post before publication is if that blogger refuses to listen to any comments or responses after the post has already been made. Those are two critical aspects of traditional journalistic standards that are simply handled in more interactive, open process ways in the blogosphere than they are in other mediums. And if certain wags refuse to recognize this, or if they refuse to cut bloggers slack in this regard considering the enormous pressures many of us are under to create new content, then they are either forgetful, or simply unaware of, the way the medium works. Or, they are just being jerks.
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