« The earthsicle is melting, big wind is blowing | Main | Social Network for Journalists » BlogsMy latest Worldchanging column, Understanding blogs, has just been published. Proponents of professional mainstream media argue the need for authoritative sources; they say that blogs don't fulfill that need because they're created by amateurs. I've discussed this at length with PR professionals and journalists, and I totally get their point. Journalism has a set of standards, practices, and ethics that supposedly ensure the authority of professional news sources. However if you've ever been close to a news story, you know that this is questionable. I've been close to many, and I've never seen a published account by a professional journalist that didn't include factual errors, and too often complete misperceptions. I would never argue against the very real value of and need for professional, tranined journalists, but I would never forget that they are human and inherently prone to error. I would argue that we should forget the myth of the authoritative source and consider the real power in having many voices, many perceptions, many records that are non-authoritative but that contribute to a clearer sense of the news. Our assessment of authority for the "truth" of any account will inevitably derive from the reputations of sources, and a professional journalist may be the more credible source, and the key provider of information and perspective. However bloggers, especially those who are experts in relevant fields, can make a signficant contribution to public perception and understanding of the world du jour. jon posted this at 7:24 PM |
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