Writing for New Media

A couple of recent articles deal with important topics for bloggers. First is a Washington Post article about how a blog post escalated into major ordeal for a Washington executive. A PR specialist interviewed for the article noted that:

It's like pamphleteering on the corner, only its cheaper, quicker and vastly more broad....But unlike the traditional media, it's completely unregulated in that there's no fact checking, no editing. It has all the potential for creating a lot of damage to someone's or something's reputation very quickly, and it's almost impossible to eliminate it. Any unsubstantiated rumor has a very good chance of getting out there.

Meanwhile, USA Today ran an article about the increasing number of people who are filing libel suits based on blog posts. The article notes:

Legal analysts say the lawsuits are challenging a mind-set that has long surrounded blogging: that most bloggers essentially are “judgment-proof” because they — unlike traditional media such as newspapers, magazines and television outlets — often are ordinary citizens who don't have a lot of money. Recent lawsuits by Banks and others who say they have had their reputations harmed or their privacy violated have been aimed not just at cash awards but also at silencing their critics.