Warren Watson
First Thoughts
Nov. 5, 2007

Blogs grow in influence, but beware of anonymity

Being a new blogger can be a lot of fun, except on those days when one of your First Thoughts readers calls me a “nut.”  It’s happened a few times.

But I have a thick and calloused skin, fortified by 30 years of experience as a reporter and editor at newspapers large and small.

I have done more and more thinking this year about the nature of blogs, how they relate to traditional journalism – and to the First Amendment.

Many of the nation’s 106 million blogs have assumed a place at journalism’s dinner table.  In 10 short years, many have gained respect as mediums of news dissemination.  They also have taken on a watchdog role, holding newsmakers and news journalists accountable.  Just ask Dan Rather, former President Clinton and U.S. Sen. Trent Lott. R-Mississippi.  All were at the receiving end of bloggers’ sharp pens. In addition, military bloggers, including Michael Yon, have broadened our understanding this year of the complicated war in Iraq by keeping newspapers and television honest.

The blogging community is undergoing growing pains, however.  Ethical issues abound as blogs strive to maintain credibility.  One key area is anonymity.

Many blogs are written by citizen journalists, who prefer to remain anonymous.  They use pseudonyms. The identity of blog commentators often remains an additional mystery.  All we know is a writer’s “handle” or screen name.

“The right to speak anonymously,” said Peter Scheer, a lawyer and journalist who is executive director of the California First Amendment Coalition, “is well established. Regrettably, however, the right is also widely abused. The Internet is crawling with anonymous communications.  Like digital kudzu.”

Scheer insists – and I wholeheartedly agree – that “the promiscuous use of anonymity breeds distrust.”

But there is an effort under way to change that.  Tim O’Reilly, an Irish blogger, has proposed a Blogger’s Code of Conduct in an effort to spawn civility on fellow bloggers.  The code encourages responsible actions, less anonymity and no abusive comments.

I guess blogging is growing up.