Weinergate: Sexting, lies and the mediascape

Journalist and media scholar Katherine Bell analyses the roots of the frenetic news coverage of the Anthony Weiner scandal. The media don’t simply record the first draft of our hyper-mediated history, she writes. They too are marinating in the cultural soup that gave us this most visual of 21st century stories. American media culture, she writes, is “a place where powerful Puritan morals sit next to an obsession with sex, sexuality and the body.”

Why transparency is not enough: The Case of Mr. Mike

Canadian journalist Ira Basen analyzes the seminal case of prominent tech blogger Mike Arrington to underline the confusing and controversial issue of conflicts of interest among “new media” writers such as bloggers. He argues that their mantra, “transparency is the new objectivity,” has limitations. Stating that you are biased or that you have a conflict of interest may not be enough to produce trustworthy journalism. Maybe neutrality – or having no agenda – is still the best ethical approach to good journalism.