Does anonymity mean freedom to be irresponsible?

In journalism, there are famous anonymous sources such as the government whistle-blower, Deepthroat of the Watergate scandal.

A nameless source was necessary to break this huge news story of government cover-up as it led to the impeachment of President Nixon. But sometimes with anonymity, issues in credibility arise.

While anonymous informants have been instrumental to journalists in breaking big stories, nameless sources have also been responsible for slanderous, irresponsible, and false accounts. Read News Sites Rethink Anonymous Online Comments and respond to the following:

Consider the ethics of when students leave anonymous comments on websites. What is the rationale for not attributing your name to your comments? Why is credibility problematic in the use of anonymous sources? When is it okay to go nameless, if ever?

Can you do a digital detox?

For Lent, my husband and I gave up cable TV. This, however, did not mean the internet. Rather than getting the latest news from Mansbridge on channel 6, I instead turned to the internet and CBC.ca. We so loved not having the TV incessantly on and enjoyed talking more and listening to music more. As a result, we got rid to our cable altogether! That Easter weekend our cable met its Golgotha as we made a trip to Rogers and sentenced our cable to death. Our viewing habits have now been resurrected into a new form: the internet!

Getting rid of the internet is something that I cannot fathom. So many of my habits, both social and professional, are tied to the online world. Some of you may have tried giving up Facebook for Lent - temporarily deactivating your account and forcing yourself to have face time with your friends.

Read the Adbusters article by Carmen Joy King entitled Facebook Suicide. Comment on her angle and writing style. King takes her personal experience of being Facebook-obsessed, connects it to larger issues, such as the tendency for people of her generation to be self-absorbed, and ties it to her existential struggles with her well-crafted online identity. Can you relate to her? Why or why not? Do you think Facebook is an ego trip, or is it more than that? How do you use social networking sites? It is all smoke and mirrors for our fragile, egotistical selves? Could you go offline?

Crowfunding? The new media democracy?

From Adbusters

Based on the concept of 'crowdfunding', spot.us is an experiment in citizen-funded community journalism.

Here's how it works: Anyone can propose a story idea. The ideas are posted online and citizens can then pledge contributions to the stories they want to see reported. If enough people chip in, the idea is investigated and the story gets published.

In one case, journalist Lindsay Hoshaw pitched a story to the New York Times about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The newspaper accepted her pitch, but Hoshaw would have to pay her own reporting costs. Hoshaw posted her story to spot.us and raised over $6000 from 116 people. Donations ranged from $10 to $700, and the story made it to the New York Times.

Crowdfunded journalism is an interesting concept, but will it work? Is this democratic media or news sold to the highest bidder? Check out the site and tell us what you think.

• www.spot.us

Do you got what it takes?

What does it take to make it in print Journalism?

In January, we had the great opportunity to visit the newsroom of the Toronto Star where Catherine Pike, the Art Director, gave us a guided tour of the various departments that are instrumental in getting the daily news out there and to us. Richard Lautens, the amazing Star photographer, shared with us his passion for his job - as well as his sports lenses, bullet-proof vest, and helmet! It seemed that every corner that we turned, we witnessed committed professionals (many even eating lunch at their desks) working tirelessly to design, write, edit, and publish the paper.

For this blog entry, discuss the traits that are required to be a professional in the print journalism business. Use examples from our trip.