Norms and the Network: Journalistic Ethics in a Shared Media Space

A networked media environment fundamentally affects what journalists do and how they do it. In a network, all communicators and all communication are connected; the media space and control over what it contains are shared. Journalistic ethics codes and ethical guidelines have been constructed in a very different media space, one in which the journalist acts as a gate-keeper regulating the flow of information. In a network, however, information flows not only through journalists but also around them; relationships among contributors become more crucial and more complex. This chapter considers the effects of the network on journalistic norms. It starts with a look at ethical adaptations and highlights the growing importance of “transparency.” After considering several other constructs that also are open to reinterpretation, it concludes with a case study highlighting how these ideas are playing out in a contemporary newsroom