Web ethics

The other day, my boss and I were discussing blogs and the new ethical dilemmas they bring to the field of journalism. Like Marista said, people rely so much on blogs, and many people rely more heavily on them than on newspapers when getting their daily news fix. This gives journalism ethics an entirely new dimension. Although there is more hard news on blogs than there has been in the past, it is still a much more laid back news medium than more conventional sources. There is more of a chance of relying on hearsay, and therefore more room for error. Because the blogosphere lacks the stringent accuracy guidelines other news outlets abide by, it seems that legal issues, such as libel, might be more rampant on the internet than in print. I wonder how people think the field will be dealing with these issues in years to come.