Hey there :)

How do we measure media freedom on the internet? How do we assert our digital rights? And most importantly, how do we find the golden mean between what we want to do, and what we are legally and ethically obliged to do?

Depending on which view you take, journalists first and foremost have an obligation to defend freedom of expression. In order to do this, we need to understand our own rights, and the rights of others. There are various mechanisms in place to enforce freedom in traditional media, but what about online media? The protection of online rights and freedom of expression on the net is grossly overlooked. As more and more newspapers, magazines etc. moving online, we need to seriously consider the various ways in which our online freedom is curtailed. With various laws being put in place to police the virtual landscape and keep online journos in their place, we need to learn to make negotiations. We need to find new ways to still get our stuff out there, without breaking new laws or crossing ethical boundaries.

With all this in mind, this blog aims to explore the ethical and legal considerations that journalists need to take into account when producing for online. Please feel free to comment after any of the posts – it would be great to generate some discussion around these important issues.