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 »

Technorati Tags: Malu Fernandez

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

First, the disclaimer. This is not intended as lawyerly advice. Neither does it refer a specific case or circumstance. Much less can this be considered as an offer to provide legal services or to advocate anything. It’s just one person’s opinion on a matter of increasing interest to bloggers and other denizens of cyberspace: what constitutes internet libel in the context of Philippine laws.

How is libel defined under Philippine laws ? Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code defines libel as “a public and malicious imputation of a crime, or of a vice or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status or circumstance tending to cause the dishonor, discredit or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or to blacken the memory of one who is dead”.

Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: internet libel, libel, Philippine laws

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