Professional journalists hate bloggers who live by different rules than they do. The rules are changing from "never have conflicts and never disclose your opinion" to "disclose your conflicts and tell people your opinion." That drives old school journalists batty. As part of FastCompany I'm not allowed to take gifts of more than $100 and I'm not allowed to cover companies I personally invest in. Even where there's a monetary relationship, like with Seagate, who sponsors my show, there's a "firewall". - Robert Scoble
Seagate isn't allowed to tell me what to report on, or what to say about Seagate due to that firewall and all my readers know that Seagate is the sponsor of my show, so they can use their own discretion in figuring out whether I'm telling them the truth or reporting the full story. - Robert Scoble
Makes me think something is really fading in the print industry (ad revenue?) that a big mainstream publication wants to snipe at a blogger. - Jason Kaneshiro
Jason: TechCrunch is taking over in tech industry and it scares the older, more traditional pubs. On my trips to Israel and Amsterdam all I heard about was "TechCrunch, TechCrunch." - Robert Scoble
If the power TechCrunch wields (readership base that acts on their views) isn't restrained (by their choice ideally) in some manner it is probable that it will corrupt them. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely in time. - Tim Bauer via Alert Thingy
For all the talk of disclosure, I always find it funny that none of these writers have to disclose they're not making any money and are envious that someone can stay home, write from his bedroom in his underwear, make millions and become one of the Time 100. - Robert Seidman
If you can't cover companies you invest in, can you invest in mutual funds which may own hundreds of companies? How can one keep up with what they may own? - Tim Cooper
On a light note, I thought the article was pretty entertaining. - Corvida
Mutual funds are OK, because the influence there is pretty minor on any one company. Insider trading in mutual funds is not OK. Say, for instance, I was to learn that Seagate was buying some new company. I'm not allowed to buy a mutual fund that would make me money off of that info. - Robert Scoble
@scobleizer i don't care how old or new skool is - to me, having an interest automatically excludes public speach. disclosure is either lame excuse or attempt to get around of necessity to say "i'm paid to say you this". and if latter is blogging - then to the heck blogging - silpol
At least they didn't use a photo without permission again. Arrington 2 , Wired 0. - Andre van Rooyen
"There's only one way - that is our way - that is the right way. You're succeeding in a different way. That can't be allowed - because it goes against the first rule. We must either attack you, or the way you are doing it, or both. Otherwise, we resent the fact that we haven't been allowed to do it your way the whole time." - Lucretia Pruitt
Ultimately, journalistic ethics evolved over long stretches of time into their current state based on the environment (pre-Internet) they operated in. Bloggers have evolved their own standards based on their environment (post-Internet). Ultimately, some scandals will occur (@Tim's point), it's not a question of if, but when. Then the public will vote with their feet (or eyeballs). - Carter Rabasa
Lucretia: exactly. silpol: I'm glad you didn't write the first amendment. Carter: exactly. - Robert Scoble
What's with all this print vs. blog talk? Epicenter is a Wired blog. It's not like they ran a story in their magazine calling out Arrington. Wired wrote a rather friendly story about Arrington in June of last year, and that went to print. Some of you guys are confusing one person's opinion, with the opinion of Wired's editorial board. - Steve Lynch via Alert Thingy
I think we should be very clear here since this goes to the heart of why some people don't trust open networks. Disclosure is optional, it's that simple. However, the more you hide, the more trust and goodwill you will violate ultimately. The upshot: blogging is not always journalism and journalism is usually not blogging. Do not judge one by the other and always be aware of the difference. - Dion Hinchcliffe via twhirl
Steve: print magazines force all their journalists to live under the same rules they do. At Fast Company.tv I don't get to make up new rules, I have to live within the old rules. It creates friction when other people are able to live under different rules (and make tons of money). - Robert Scoble
Dion: I always try to treat community members and readers the way I'd like to be treated. That demands disclosure of conflicts of interest. - Robert Scoble
Robert: right, I understand that you may have to deal with some friction at FC. However, some of the commenters were confusing the opinion of what is essentially an online columnist with the opinion of the Wired magazine editorial board. - Steve Lynch via Alert Thingy
Steve: well, the article that Louis linked to said "we" and that implies that it IS the opinion of the Wired magazine editorial board, and not just some rogue reporter or opinion writer. Keep in mind, I don't feel any friction. I signed the editorial ethics agreement before I joined, so I know what I'm in for. - Robert Scoble
Robert: Agree on it's best to disclose fully. And the next debate is on how best to do it. ;-) - Dion Hinchcliffe via twhirl
That's the problem I had: people are seeing columnist's opinion and assuming that one person's opinion is representative of the entire publication. - Steve Lynch via Alert Thingy
Disclosure should not be different for print versus blog - I write for both, I advise and invest and I disclose openly across whichever publishing platform I am utilizing. And I also completely respect confidentiality - if someone gives me an early look in to their product and asks I do not cover it then this is an absolute - just yesterday I refused to bow to pressure from a press colleague to release details on a kickass friendfeed-like product - Randal Leeb-du Toit
Robert: Is Betsy an editor? I thought she primarily wrote for the Epicenter blog. I'm assuming the "we" referred to Epicenter alone. - Steve Lynch via Alert Thingy
In many ways I think it's sad that Wired and TechCrunch have become the story - rather than them reporting on *real* news stories. - Jonathan Beckett
it's the only way they get traffic? - Morgan via twhirl
Disclosure isn't the issue here, it's conflict of interest. IRL if a journalist discloses a conflict of interest, it's usually because he's backing off the story. Why is conflict of interest acceptable with TechCrunch? We keep whining about why blogs aren't valued as much in MSM or why most people don't trust blogs and bloggers -- well can you blame them? Blogs have to hold themselves up to a higher standard if they want to gain that trust and respect. - Shey
In my opinion conflict of interest is absolutely an issue. It is why I don't have the same respect for TC as say a year ago. Also their slash and burn approach to various people is completely childish. TC does have quality stories sometimes.but there is way too much bitchin'.And whohas not been thrown out of a TC party. Ican'treally take these guys seriously - DC Crowley via Alert Thingy
In the first Wired article in the "ButtMunch" category, they basically accuse Arrington of poaching. In today's article, they say they have nothing against Arrington. Can't seem to reconcile accusing someone of poaching and of ethical lapses without having anything "against" them... I don't think is the last of this saga. Anyone for popcorn? - Karim
A) the disclosure is key. I would never cover anything I was invested in, or that my husband was invested in or built. B) When you respond to an article calling you out for not disclosing with an "F you Wired" explain who looks worse? I've stated it before... Kara Swisher discloses more about her personal life and financial investments than I feel I need to know, but at least I know where she's coming from. - Cyndy
I have to reject the notion that bloggers shouldn't be blogging about whatever they choose to. Just like journalists should be able to accept payment from publications that accept advertising. The assumption by consumers of any media should be that there is always a motivation for the work, regardless of what it is. But no one can reasonably ask a blogger to stop what they're blogging about, whatever it is. - Dion Hinchcliffe via twhirl
@scobleizer to my best luck, I couldn't care less about *amendments* of any kind - using freedom of speech to hide from responsibility for pre-texting vested interest makes me happy that I have never entered US jurisdiction. - silpol
I remember during Rathergate I had this grand vision of New Media being this thing that magically saved journalism from the ethical and bias foibles that plagued Old Media. mashable.com/2008/05/12/lindsay-campbell-arrested basically says "Once I dreamed a dream. Now that dream is gone from me." Apologies to the Wachowski Brothers (but they deserve it after Speed Racer). - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
@geekmommy with your kind of logic, Enron and Worldcom top management was innocent... - silpol
I'm just wondering when Wired is going to change its name. The name's so 20th century... :) - Ontario Emperor
The issue of conflict of interest should not be dismissed. Writing about companies you invest in is an obvious conflict of interest. This isn't old media (WaPo) vs new media (blogs). - ron k jeffries
ron: I think it is. The more I talk to folks on the front lines in New Media, the more I realize that it's all about pushing the boundaries. I got flamed pretty good in one of those comments in my article about L. Campbell for comparing questions of ethics to her yellow journalism. Fact remains, though, that the only consistent element of New Media is that they disregard the rules of Old Media. - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
i'm sorry to bump this back up (i'm resolved to shut up, having been far too chatty lately), but here's where i think the difference lies. as a consumer before the New Media Plague, i read a newspaper or watch a news program and demand certain ethics for the very good reason that the newspaper or program may be my only source of information on a given topic. after the onset of Blogitis, i have more information at my disposal, more sources, a more realistic ability to research. (cont) - hisherness
when TechCrunch (or similar) discloses to me their interest, i am able to investigate much more easily than i could before this internet thing. i don't have to trust TechCrunch as a sole source of information anymore (as i may have trusted the Times at some point), because i can research and find various sources of information on a topic they introduce. it's a new way to do things, certainly, but it's a viable way. in my opinion. - hisherness
@hisherness: while what you're saying makes sense, and I can't really refute it with anything other than a "nya nya, I'm rubber, you're glue" style response, I have to say it feels a bit like a justification, rather than a root reason. While I accept this new way of doing stuff as inevitable, I'm not particularly happy about this aspect of it. - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
sorry, sorry, i'll stop for a bit after this. promise. @MarkRizzinHopkins, i meant it as an observation rather than a justification, but i don't express myself well. personally, i haven't considered which way i like better. i don't think one has to replace the other. New Media seems to me to be, at least partially, about integrating the audience. so it makes sense to me that a blog like TC will expect (not the word i want, but...) me to inform myself a bit. but i don't even have a blog, so ... - hisherness
Hisherness: it's past my bed time, so I should let you have the last word on this. Unfortunately for you, though, I'm suffering a bout of insomnia tonight. I don't really mean to pick on Mike - it's just something that brings to the fore that I'm living in the frankly unethical and biased world in New Media that I railed against so loudly years ago when it was Old Media. The only diff is that New Media doesn't hide behind ethics - they're out in the open with their conflicts/bias. Not what i imagined. - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
