Online credibility
Toronto Star public editor Kathy English wrote of the Toronto Star‘s recent move to axe pseudonymous online comments alongside signed letters in its online Web Forum:
“I would prefer the Star demand real names of those who comment online. I’ve been told that’s a near-impossible expectation in the online environment. I don’t buy that.
“I understand that in this challenging era of evolution in journalism, the Star must embrace the possibilities of the Internet. But we must aim to do so in a manner consistent with this newspaper’s long-standing commitment to ethical journalism you can trust.”
I agree with English. Reputation and credibility are, when all is said and done, all that professional journalism has to offer in a world awash with infotainment and misinformation. The deluge of online commentary by anonymous anybodies (with their weirdly juvenile affinity for potty jokes and below-the-belt blows that would be libelous in any other publishing environment) have no place in ethical, accountable, credible journalism.
Toronto Star public editor Kathy English wrote of the Toronto Star‘s recent move to axe pseudonymous online comments alongside signed letters in its online Web Forum:
“I would prefer the Star demand real names of those who comment online. I’ve been told that’s a near-impossible expectation in the online environment. I don’t buy that.
“I understand that in this challenging era of evolution in journalism, the Star must embrace the possibilities of the Internet. But we must aim to do so in a manner consistent with this newspaper’s long-standing commitment to ethical journalism you can trust.”
I agree with English. Reputation and credibility are, when all is said and done, all that professional journalism has to offer in a world awash with infotainment and misinformation. The deluge of online commentary by anonymous anybodies (with their weirdly juvenile affinity for potty jokes and below-the-belt blows that would be libelous in any other publishing environment) have no place in ethical, accountable, credible journalism.
