Blind Item Strategy on Big Bad Blogger

I just read from Carlo Ople about the rejoinder on Big Bad Blogger issue by its columnist to the point of defending a blind item strategy or approach to writing.

Have been writing columns since 1995 to various publications and have a lot of bloopers through the years. This experience leads to a lot of bias and therefore making this post highly opinionated. Please take it with a grain of salt.

What I didn't agree with the blind item approach and to its ending are as follows:

1. That blind item article should not have been published in the first place due to its unfairness. That blind item story is fit for a personal blog, not an Inquirer column piece.
   
   Have experienced submitting some sort of a blind item in a news network blog and recall that it was not approved as the other side has to be heard for fairness. I'm sad to see how the "balanced views" slogan of Inquirer missed this one.
   
   As a columnist, our style of writing is heavily influenced by our bias and can therefore skew a story towards a desired perspective.
   
   Furthermore, if the columnist relationship to the client is not clear, it poses a lot of question as well to its "real" motive.
   
   Is that restaurant a newspaper advertiser? A current PR or prospective client? An entity you are helping to bolt out from their current contracts?
   
   
2. Malicious name calling
   
   The columnist can no longer name the blogger as there was malicious name calling involved. Why refer to the PR firm, which is the focus of the story, a simple alias but refer to the blogger differently?
   
   If not for that malicious alias of "big bad blogger", that column would not have generated that much attention in the blogosphere in the first place. Of course, it is also possible that the real target was the blogger.
   
   No matter how good you think you are or how bad a person is, until their side is heard, you don't abuse your power as a columnist to label another person.
   
   
3. Arrogance
   
   Not taking responsibility for what one has written is such a coward stance. Seeing how this rumor has affected innocent bloggers and PR firms, the columnist can do much better than that. More so if you are a real Inquirer columnist who can own up and take responsibility for your "fearless views".
   
   Of course, one can also speculate that the need to name is no longer necessary as the objective was already achieved from the responses you got.
   
   
4. Issue or non-issue
   
   It is an issue for I have seen how bloggers and PR firms got hurt. Having a very narrow list of speculated bloggers and PR firms is not amusing. Worst, when you see associations, with all their good intention, see the need to have blogging guidelines created based on an irresponsible blind item.
   
   Furthermore, it bothers when you see a reader so engrossed with the story without considering if what the writer did was right or not in the first place. Without asking more about the writer's profession or conflict of interest or what journalists always flash - their adherence to writing standards or so-called "code of ethics".

As more bloggers become Internet marketers, PR practitioners, multi-blog publishers, brand endorsers, 2011 will be an interesting year. As I always say, a prospective client with seventy thousand pesos (P70k) can either use that money to buy a one month box ad in an online newspaper website or ran a blog post campaign that can yield exposure as well on social media or have their own online contest, among others. In short, the advertising game is changing and more sum will be spent on digital media.


Internet advertising growth in the Philippines


Tapping blogs for online campaigns

However, I feel the need to be vigilant as well and should not let any irresponsible attack against bloggers just pass.

From this day on, I will refuse any upcoming blog marketing and blog advertising guidelines, to be created by associations, that shall use the said irresponsible, malicious name-calling, blind item piece as basis for its creation (unless the parties accused are cited and their side heard).

Furthermore, any guidelines that shall restrict how bloggers write and do their business should also apply to media.

Related stories:

• Becoming a Better Blogger and Public Relations Professional: Managing the Client Relationship
• Are you in favor of a Professional Bloggers Association?
• Politics of Blogging

Personal Branding and Reputation Management through Social Media (Carlo Ople on Big Bad Blogger)


Changes in the Philippines blogosphere