The Prince William Committee of 100 will be hosting an interesting panel discussion on Thursday:
Not since Tom Paine and his fellow pamphleteers provoked the American Revolution has it been easier for a concerned citizen to spread his ideas without the cost of buying a newspaper or a broadcasters’ license. In 2006 one media outlet estimated that there were 20 million blogs in operation around the world, while another estimated 37 million. The British Broadcasting Service was moved to proclaim “We are all journalists now.”
The Internet is filled with blogs and one need not disclose his or her identity to post a comment on a blog making devastating accusations about a politician, a businessman, a group of citizens or even a private individual. First Amendment Scholar Charles Haynes has stated:
“In the Internet age, the impulse to offend apparently knows no bounds. People feel increasingly emboldened to say or write anything - however ugly, vulgar or downright hateful. From cyberbullies who harass classmates to anonymous bloggers who assault their ‘enemies,’ the anything-goes Web world has raised the bar for what counts as ‘offensive speech’ in America’s public square.”
Haynes concludes, however, that “the only thing worse than an uncivil society is a society where government legislates what is civil.” Rather he applauds those bloggers who are working on developing codes of ethics, lest the irresponsible in their ranks give all bloggers a bad name. One such proposal is that bloggers consider banning anonymous comments and take responsibility for what appears on their own pages. Moreover, some have stepped forward to police their fellow bloggers for reckless reporting and publish challenges and corrections as soon as a falsehood appears. But no matter how quickly the corrections come, the initial posting has a life of its own.
You may recall a former Secretary of Labor who survived vicious attacks by congressional committees and the media, who asked “Where can I go to get back my good name?” Can the victim of false claims on a blog seek relief from the courts? Can he/she get damages when a blogger is negligent or careless about researching the facts, or only if a blogger is acting out of malice? Is it reasonable to expect a part time blogger expressing opinions to research his reports as carefully as a fulltime journalist? Do you forfeit your protection against libel when you become a “public figure”?
Will allowing such victims to sue threaten the First Amendment? Will it inhibit citizen journalism and free speech in general? When the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791, our forefathers had no way to know that with the press of a button, called the Enter key, words would travel globally and without retraction. In the 21st Century has Freedom of Speech gone too far or is it more powerful and influential than ever before?
The Committee of 100 has assembled a panel that includes two bloggers and two attorneys to discuss these issues. One of the attorneys has represented individuals claiming injury to his or her reputation in defamation or libel suits, while the other is a vigorous advocate of the free speech rights, including those of bloggers. Please make plans to join us for a thought provoking February 21 program at the Four Points by Sheraton. Dinner reservations are $25 for members and $30 for guest.
Barring something unforeseen, I’ll be there.
