Bloggers vs. Journalists

Will the blogosphere adhere to the same standards of objectivity, fairness and truth as traditional journalists?

Just one of the 25 big questions for the future of journalism; according to Scott Hepburn.

Personally I think this is one of the more important concerns facing the future of journalism. Anyone who has the most basic computer and Internet navigation skills can create their own blog. Journalists, or at least good ones, go through years of training.

Speaking as someone who has received training in both Journalism and the “blogosphere” I think I’m probably in a minority.  As a student of OSU’s School of Journalism and Broadcasting, I’ve received training in writing, classes in law and ethics of Journalism. I have also been fortunate enough to have professors who are interested and aware of the way journalism is changing today and therefore have been educated in the ways of blogging.

How do those bloggers who aren’t as fortunate as I am, get their lessons concerning the ethics of posting information? I realise that in today’s world of sharing information we have to have some level of trust in one another’s information, but how far do we go in trusting the honor’s system?

I don’t think that I will ever be able to trust just another user’s information as much as I can trust someones information who is backed by a long-standing organization. It’s just not the same level of professionalism. Professional journalists have to be trustworthy because they are held accountable by their employers and reputation. What holds bloggers accountable? I realise that most people’s own reputation as a trustworthy person is enough to hold them accountable, but what about for those who don’t care?

I think that if we are going to one day move to solely relying on bloggers over journalists, that there will be need to be some type of rating system that ranks more credible blogs over others. I’m not sure who would be in charge of doing so, maybe AP. In any case, there needs to be some system for separating the news and the noise.

 

STATEments

If you are looking to get some real, hands-on public relations experience without leaving the comfort of campus, you should apply for PRSSA’s new student-run firm, STATEments.

The 8 members of STATEments, me included, have been split into smaller groups and assigned clients to work with including the OSU Foundation, Smart Start of Payne County and OSU Racing. As members of STATEments we have to opportunity to perform real client work for the organizations. Some of the work I have done is creating a social media plan for OSU Foundation and working on branding issues with Smart Start of Payne County.

STATEments began meeting and taking on clients in January of 2009. Before the firm had even begun meeting PR professor, Gina Noble, had a dozen potential clients asking for the firms assistance. As STATEments and its client-base continues to grow, the firm is looking to double its membership in the fall. The organization meets weekly or as needed, and is a great way to gain experience. Because the organization is a new one, some of the kinks are still being worked out, but I believe that everyone who is interested in being a PR professional should apply to be a member of the firm.

I’ve included a copy of the application and job descriptions in the pages section of my blog. You may also find the application and job descriptions on sociallyorange.org