Continuation of :
Blog Ethics Part 1
Blog Ethics Part 2

Anyone who still has doubts about the influence of the blogosphere over real world events only has to look at the case of the columnist Malu Fernandez. Ms. Fernandez is (or was until her recent resignation) a lifestyle writer for the broadsheet Manila Standard. She wrote an article which, rightly or wrongly, was seen by many as insulting to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) A blogger, Nick of Tingog.com (“Voice” in Cebuano), picked up the initial comments taking Ms. Fernandez to task for putting down Filipino workers abroad and initiated a call to action. He brought the issue to the attention of other bloggers. The internet was soon abuzz with posts denouncing Ms. Fernandez and calling for a boycott of the Manila Standard.

Things rapidly came to a head. As described in a news article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer datelined 25 August 2007:

“A Lifestyle writer has been hounded out of her job by death threats and hate mail after she wrote a travel piece many readers found insulting to millions of Filipinos abroad. Malu Fernandez told Agence France Presse she quit her job at the Manila Standard Today newspaper and People Asia magazine after her article “From Boracay to Greece provoked international outrage. The travel piece, which appeared in the June edition of the magazine and later in modified form in the newspaper, recounts her mock horror at finding herself in economy class surrounded by Filipino maids reeking of cheap cologne. “I wanted to slash my wrist at the thought of being trapped in a plane with all of them.”, she wrote.

However, Fernandez said she has since become the “target of death threats, hate blogs, and deeply personal insults” and felt the need to apologize and quit. “

The near universal ire near over her perceived insults, and the concerted action of thousands of bloggers, purportedly forced Ms. Fernandez to quit her job.

Truthfully, a few of the comments were indeed over the top and hurtful, labeling her “Ms. Piggy” and demanding that she be roasted on a spit (litsonin) and calling on Mang Tomas to prepare his famous lechon sauce. Read the rest of this entry »

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From Blog Ethics Part 1

As the word is commonly understood, journalists are those who practice the profession of journalism or who write for newspapers or magazines. But I would propose that bloggers are, going by the broad definition of the term, journalists. A journalist is anyone who “keeps a journal, diary, or other record of daily events”. The majority of blogs are chronicles, in one form or another, of life events which happen in the bloggers’ environment.

But I would guess the vast majority of bloggers would disagree with my proposition. The bloggers of my acquaintance are an intelligent and discerning lot and, for the same reasons, do not like to be pigeonholed or told what to do. They are jealous of their perceived independence and protective of the democratic space they have carved out for themselves. They see traditional media as being tied-down to institutions or beholden to certain interests, and will thus resist being labeled as journalists.

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My ex-girlfriend (now my roommate) recently figured in an online tussle over blog ethics and I suppose this is an opportune time to address the issue.

There are two contending schools of thought on the matter. One posits that ethical guidelines are necessary in order that blogging may be practiced responsibility. The other says that such a “code of ethics” is anathema in the freewheeling blogosphere.

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According to a recent news report, American actor Ving Rhames’ caretaker died after being mauled by Rhames’ pet bull mastiffs at the former’s Los Angeles home.

A similarly tragic incident in Marikina City a week or so ago failed to elicit much ink in the dailies or airtime in TV but brings into sharper focus recent concerns on the purported aggression of the increasingly-popular bulldog breeds.

Kane, a four-year old pit bull terrier, without warning and apparent cause, attacked Stephany, a small child and daughter of the dog’s owner. Mrs. Zenaida Sebastian came to her granddaughter’s rescue and was fatally mauled by the dog. When help came, the dog’s jaws were still locked on the fatally-wounded victim, per an eyewitness radio report.
Pit bull owners claim that the breed is not intentionally bred for aggression. However, pit bulls have a deserved reputation for being fierce and tenacious fighters, highly tolerant of pain, and with a legendary “locking jaw” mechanism which supposedly allows it latch on to their victims and wear them down.

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The Philippine Anti-Terrorism Law, Republic Act No. 9372, entitled “The Human Security Act of 2007”, went into effect mid-July amidst a lot of hand-wringing on the part of those who fear it will be used to stifle legitimate dissent. An early challenge to its constitutionality, initiated by lawyer and human-rights advocate Soli Santos, was set aside by the Supreme Court for being premature. No actual case has arisen on the basis of which the High Court can exercise its power to review and rule on the validity of the statute.

For now, the public mood seems to be: wait and see. The international community, notably our strongest ally, the United States, sees the law as a step in the right direction. However, the general view abroad seems to be that the law is weak, although better than nothing.

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