This document discusses ethics and credibility in new media such as blogs. It provides guidelines for bloggers to be honest, minimize harm, and be accountable. This includes avoiding plagiarism, identifying sources, showing sensitivity, admitting mistakes, and disclosing conflicts of interest. The document also examines credibility of different news sources, with television being most popular but the internet growing. It provides tips for evaluating blog credibility and improving one's credibility online through symbols, logos, and graphics.

1. Ethics & Credibility of
New Media
By: Kristen McKinson

2. New Media Code of Ethics
Blogging
• Be Honest and Fair
• Minimize Harm
• Be Accountable

3. Be Honest and Fair
Bloggers should be honest and fair in gathering, reporting and
interpreting information. Bloggers should:
• Never plagiarize.
• Identify and link to sources whenever feasible. The public is
entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability.
• Make certain that Weblog entries, quotations, headlines, photos
and all other content do not misrepresent. They should not
oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.

4. Minimize Harm
Ethical bloggers treat sources and subjects as human beings
deserving of respect. Bloggers should:
• Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by
Weblog content. Use special sensitivity when dealing with
children and inexperienced sources or subjects.
• Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs
of those affected by tragedy or grief.
• Recognize that gathering and reporting information may
cause harm or discomfort.
• Recognize that private people have a greater right to control
information about themselves than do public officials and
others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an
overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone's
privacy.

5. Be Accountable
Bloggers should:
• Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
• Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and
resist their pressure to influence content. When exceptions are
made, disclose them fully to readers.
• Be wary of sources offering information for favors. When
accepting such information, disclose the favors.
• Expose unethical practices of other bloggers.
• Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others.

6. Credibility of New Media
• In early 2009, 29 percent of Americans surveyed believe the
media gets the facts right, and a little over 18 percent think
news organizations are truly objective.
• Television remains the dominant source for national and
international news for those surveyed, but the Internet now
places second above newspapers and radio.
• In December 2009, it was the first time that there a higher
percentage saying the Internet, more than newspapers, was a
better source of national and international news.

7. Evaluating Blog Credibility:
Check to see if the blog has...
• Upfront name of author and organization.
• Hypertext links leading to reputable sources of information.
• Professional appearance, good use of visual elements.
• Reasonable, rational language with explanations, definitions,
clarifications, links to substantiating information, as needed or
appropriate.
• Free from comment spam.
• Free from excessive typos, wrong spellings, bad grammar.

8. Wikipedia
• Online encyclopedia Wikipedia which lets users anonymously
create new articles and edit existing entries.
• One incident was started when an anonymously written
biography entry linked former USA Today Editor John
Seigenthaler Sr. with the assassinations of President John F.
Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy. The writer, Brian
Chase, has issued an apology for a prank he says went terribly
wrong . Seigenthaler, in a Nov. 29 USA Today editorial,
criticized Wikipedia and called the fake biography "Internet
character assassination.“
• The incident has cast doubt on the credibility of Wikipedia.

9. How To Improve Your Credibility
Whether it’s a website, blog, fan page or social media site
profile, most visitors make a subconscious judgment about a
page’s credibility in under 3 seconds. Improving one’s credibility
will improve the way the visitors feels about the website.
• The Power of Symbols, Logos and Graphics
The Landing Page Optimization Program cites symbols and
credibility elements as one of the small changes that he has
seen increase a website’s conversion 20 to 40%.