UPDATED ON MAY 27 WITH PROPOSED CODE OF ETHICS
With growing popularity of blogs in Nepal, many issues concerning blogs are emerging. One of the issues that needed to be immediately addressed is on ethical aspects of the blogs.
Blogs, by nature, is free. But as Rebecca Blood put it: The blog’s greatest strength – its uncensored, unmediated, uncontrolled voice – is also its greatest weakness.
While believing that blogs should remain free – uncensored and uncontrolled, it’s also worthwhile for bloggers to be responsible. As CyberJournalists.net states: Responsible bloggers should recognize that they are publishing words publicly, and therefore have certain ethical obligations to their readers, the people they write about, and society in general.
Code of Ethics is not strict principles that every bloggers should adhere to; rather it’s a standard guideline that bloggers can voluntarily follow. Code of conducts are formulated and followed by bloggers themselves. Following ethical publishing practices not only make the blogs standard but also convey a message to the readers that they can be trusted.
There is no Code of Ethics for Bloggers in Nepal. And, this could become a biggest weakness of Nepali blogosphere in the time of crisis.
It was also discussed a few days ago in a seminar organized by Equal Access – and after hearing what people have to say about blogs, a few of bloggers who were present in the seminar felt a need for the Code of Ethics.
After informal consultations with some of the bloggers and the Online Journalists Association – Nepal (OJAN), we agreed that it would be worthwhile to formulate the Code of Conduct for Bloggers under Bloggers Association of Nepal (BLOGAN) – an informal community of Nepali bloggers, and OJAN.
I have taken the responsibility of preparing the first draft of the Code of Ethics. Regarding this, I need suggestions from bloggers. Please do suggest me via comments of this blog or email through contact me page.
Here is a primary plan:
- A code of Ethics is formulated
- Bloggers can choose to become a signatory of the Code of Ethics
- The Code of Ethics will be kept online officially with the list of signatories
- All signatory bloggers agree to follow the Code of Ethics
Here is the first draft of the proposed Code of Ethics for Bloggers.
CODE OF ETHICS FOR BLOGGERS (Proposed on May 27, 2011)
DOs: A blogger should honestly:
- Be honest and fair on what you write in your blog
- Write things that you believe to be truth
- Specify your source of information – credit to offline sources and link to online sources
- Specify clearly the use of any unconfirmed fact or information
- Avoid conflict of interest – clearly disclose your position including job, financial interest, affiliation and relationship if they related to the post OR maintain an detailed About Me page
- Clearly differentiate between advertisements and blog content
- Disclose clearly if an entry is posted sponsored or as advertisement or after accepting a payment or goods to write it
- Admit and correct mistakes as soon as possible but only with strikethrough or editorial note
- Allow comments to engage audience, allow different opinions and clearly state your moderation policy if any
- Show compassion for human being – be sensitive writing about or using photos of victims
- Promote freedom of speech
DON’Ts: A blogger shouldn’t intentionally:
- Completely rewrite or delete an entry
- Threaten people and institution using the blog
- Write anything undermining nationality, national security, religious harmony and social order
- Give space to pornography, hate speech and crude content
- Publish personal and confidential information of people
- Spam, spread malware and viruses and engage in illegal activities
- Plagiarize – copy and paste from other sources
- Disclose the source of primary information without source’s consent
Bloggers, please provide your suggestions, criticisms and comments.
All your comments, suggestions and criticisms will be taken up in subsequent updates of the Code of Ethics before it is finalized and bloggers are invited to be signatory.
0 responses to “Code of ethics for bloggers”
I have a different view. I do not think there should be any written and obligatory code of ethics for bloggers. Bloggers should enjoy unconditional freedom of expression. It should not be guided or controlled by such so called code of ethics.
However on the other hand, I agree that bloggers should abide themselves by some moral and social ethics that has been determined by their soci0-cultural context. Bloggers are ordinary human beings. And every people must present themselves morally while they express their ideas and opinions. In nutshell, personally I always oppose the regulations to curb the strength, reach and content of blogging. But if you guys can find a common ground which mainly focuses on moral ethics and social values, I will be happy to be a signatory of that. But I always oppose any politically inspired and traditionally crafted such ‘code of ethics’.
I believe that the only code a blogger can share is its own ethics. Most of the bloggers worldwide are not professionals, neither blog about their profession or job. They blog about politics, feelings, life. They have their own point of view.
Some of them have values, some of them don’t. Some of them have a morallity which is not accepted by others… well, this is the blogosphere.
I understand the idea, and I’m not against it. I find it to be a very good idea. It simply is also impossible to put in practice. Maybe for the better… 🙂
Though blogger can write anything freely, but while writing they should be responsible for their writings. And blogger should abide themselves by social ethics and moral. You are free to write doesn’t mean, you should use hate word against someone.
Actually, I don’t like any type of censorship in Internet but still I’m positive about such Code of Ethics. Even we are blogging as personal blog, but one should become professional while blogging, because people are their to read it. Despite of reader’s harsh comments, we need to respect readers privacy.
I agree with u somewhat, but I disagree with the fact that u need to be professional for blogging. Blogging is for everyone to write their views, opinions for, against, about, whatever pop in their mind. Agree, disagree your choice. But I think as a blogger they are just looking for big popular sites which are popular because of their news.If that is fact than they do need ethics not all bloggers. Pure Blogging is bit different than professional writing too. Although it’s just a volunteer thing but still it’s not good to generalize all the bloggers as professionals or Journalists and should come under code.
I don’t like the idea. This can be applied when it comes to professional blogging maybe but personal blogging I think doesn’t have to follow anything like this. Or maybe we should not call it ‘code of ethics’. I personally take personal blogging as just like a conversation you’re having with people and you don’t have to follow any ethics there, its more about morality. And I really wonder whether ‘clear about me page’ is really important. I mean if a national print media can publish a column with just a name like ‘nepaliketi’ and a little mascot of her, does that mean the newspaper doesn’t follow their code of ethics or they don’t have anything about that in their code of ethics at all?
I, personally do believe that the glory, grace and glamor of
blog is that:- it’s free.
Now,
talking about Code of Ethics, I think, imposing or applying any kind of “DO’s”
and “DONT’s” may hardly bring any change in blogging world. Because blogger’s who are responsible, moral
and ethical are still following their own ethics (that is of course undeclared).
And those do not care about all these stuffs will never care about it even if
it is imposed. (I mean they will never become a signatory of the Code of Ethics).
Now
coming to my bottom line, I think blog is better in it’s uncensored, unmediated
state but not uncontrolled, It must be “self controlled”.
I hope this post can motivate bloggers
to be self-controlled. No point’s of Ethics will do, but this kind of
discussion and awareness will certainly make bloggers more ethical and
responsible.
(Liked this post and shared in FB and
Twitter:)
Let me clarify a few things:
1. The Code of Ethics is not a control mechanism, rather is a self-control guidelines.
2. The Code of Ethics is not imposed by others. It’s formulated by bloggers themselves and voluntarily followed. I am proposing this as a common one of those bloggers who like to be signatories.
3. The proposed Code of Ethics doesn’t curtail any freedom we are enjoying as blogger so far. Rather it could decreases the issues bloggers have been talking (example the copy-paste discussion during the Dautari.org’s bhela).
4. Ethics is only about high morality of bloggers. Becoming a signatory is also a way to tell our audience that we blog responsibly.
<>Ok This is not just contradictory, it is SELF-CONTRADICTORY!!
<>>
This is how Panoptican starts i must say (ok. heck i might as well cite Foucault here i guess…is that what the code says, isn’t it) I do hope you know the consequence of a Panoptican…?
The proposed Code of Ethics doesn’t curtail any freedom we are enjoying as blogger so far. Rather it could <> the issues bloggers have been talking (example the copy-paste discussion during the Dautari.org’s bhela).
4. Ethics is only about high morality of bloggers. Becoming a signatory is also a way to tell our audience that we blog responsibly.
I think there is a fine line between me believing in my ethics and responsibility and YOU telling me to blog responsibly. I would rather have supported you if you had prepared a Code of Conduct for drivers to not drive while drinking…that is driving responsibly.
Will a blog be blog after following these all code of ethics literally ? I dought. It becomes like a news site completely. Although, vulgur. porn and those unsocial contents should be avoided funny entertainment can be provided with hiding ids and all that. I think so. But, it should not harm anybody or any organization. The major thing is being a blogger, one should maintain their identity themselves. I think so, but it can be formulated with very few restrictions.
hahahahhahahahhaahahahahhaha….whole proposal is funny and silly!!!
yeah sam hai hai ?? hawaaa k … u guys have no idea hai hai hehehe
I personally think that this is not a good idea. especially n3 of the Donts list. till where can one critisize a religion or a nation and be accused of undermining it ? Maybe this just needs to be more specific.
Hello
there, I like the idea of Citizen Journalism. And sure, the code of
ethics is essential for that. And we will hope that we will get truth,
facts and fresh news (satya, tathya n taja khabar) from your sites. And it will sure make the change in the train of journalism in the country. Good
luck for that. However, generalizing all the bloggers as Journalist
doesn’t sounds good. Most of the bloggers are not related with writing news either. Some people writes against the social norms for good that might violate your code of ethics. So it would have been better if the name was BLOGGING JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION OF NEPAL.
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