The Importance of Ethical Blogging

Aduka Taruna arrested for unethical blogging. (source: blogger.com)

Ever since the world of blogging was invented, there had been many outlandish cases reported on the news. More often than not, the most sensational ones are usually about bloggers who were charged against sedition, slander and defamation. A 28-year-old Malaysian blogger known as Aduka Taruna was arrested for posting an allegedly insulting comment following the demise of the late sultan of Johor; specifically, he used contemptuous words in commenting how the announcement of the death of the late sultan was made (Shadiqe, 2010). This is only a minor example of how badly unethical blogging can negatively affect one’s live. Bloggers with sense of responsibility should bear in mind that they are publishing words publicly and there are ethical obligations towards the readers, the people they write about and the society in general. Cyberjournalist.net (2003) delineated code of ethics for bloggers which include;

• To minimize harm, sources and subjects should be treated with deserving respect, i.e be sensitive because readers may be affected adversely;
• Be accountable, i.e. bloggers should admit mistakes and immediately correct them.

Shadiqe (2010) reported that Aduka Taruna was threatened by some readers which prompted him to remove the posting and made a public apology; yet many perceived the apology as an insult as well. The blogosphere inclines on norms and customs – on what the community feels is acceptable, thus, the community will police itself whenever someone crosses the line (Lasica, 2005).

Unethical blogging is evident all over the world, as the Internet is a globalized platform. In Egypt, the Arabian Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) reported that a blogger faced charges of publishing false information about the Egyptian armed forces and destabilizing citizen’s confidence in the military establishment (Hassan, 2010). In Thailand, an engineer who’s also a blogger was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for sending pictures online which were offensive to the royal family, thus considered defaming the monarchy (BBC News, 2009).

In my own perspective, if natural law means rules of conduct intrinsic in human nature, binding upon human society, and the blogosphere is all about interactive outspoken community, then it is only sensible to abide by the ethics of blogging because we would want harmony and peace in the Internet as well as in real life. We must coexist upon mutual respect and sensitivity towards each other’s perspectives.

“Before you speak, think – Is it necessary? Is it true? Is it kind? Will it hurt anyone? Will it improve on the silence?” – Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Indian spiritual leader.

References

• BBC News 2009, 'Thai man jailed for royal insult', 3 April, viewed 15 June 2010, <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7981769.stm>.
• Cyberjournalist.net 2003, A bloggers' code of ethics, viewed 15 June 2010, <http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/000215.php>.
• Hassan, A 2010, 'Blogger faces charges of defaming military', Los Angeles Times, 3 March, viewed 15 June 2010, <http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/03/egypt-blogger-accused-of-defaming-military-forces.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+BabylonBeyond+(Babylon+%26+Beyond+Blog)>.
• Lasica, JD 2005, The cost of ethics: influence peddling in the blogosphere, viewed 15 June 2010, <http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050217lasica/>.
• Shadiqe, J 2010, 'Blogger held over insulting posting', New Straits Times, 26 January, viewed 15 June 2010, <http://yquake.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/12eiss/Article/index_html>.