The Avian Flu Part II: Bloggers' Role

In a comment on his post about the West Virginia coal mine disaster, John Wagner wrote,

"I think it would help if newspapers stopped thinking of themselves as the source for breaking news and started thinking of themselves as the provider of a deeper, more analytical look behind the scenes. In other words, a little less focus on 'what' and 'when' and a lot more focus on 'why and how.' "

I agree with John. I especially believe that newspaper coverage, with a renewed focus on in-depth reporting, will be important as the avian flu spreads. Getting accurate and detailed information out to a likely panicked public will be critical in helping stem the spread of H5N1 and to help maintain calm.

And yet, the need for on-the-scene and community-based coverage won't abate. Therefore, as an addition to the mainstream broadcast media (for a view on "the synergistic relationship that exists between traditional news sources and highly specific online news sites, including blogs," read Ed Kohler's post on Traditional Media Covering the Long Tail), blogs and bloggers can cover these and other important areas:

• Examine how their local governments and associated infrastructure are managing the outbreak
• Explain what personal preventive measures the public can take to better protect itself
• Illustrate how individuals and businesses within their communities are coping
• Help inform the public about any new virus mutations or spread
• Quell unsubstantiated and panic-inducing rumors that may circulate 

Blogging critics argue that bloggers, as a group, are not held to the same journalistic standards as professional journalists (although numerous blogs, both in the United States and abroad, are written by journalists). But this absence of mandatory compliance should not minimize or negate the value of bloggers' contributions.

In the chapter What Ethics Should Bloggers Have? in Reporters without Borders' Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents, Dan Gillmor writes,

"Not all bloggers do journalism...But when they do, they should be ethical... In a world of new journalism, where we shift from a lecture to much more of a conversation, ethical journalism depends less on codes of ethics than the values and principles that are a foundation for honorable journalism. There are pillars of good journalism: thoroughness, accuracy, fairness, transparency and independence." 

Bloggers interested in making a contribution to avian flu preparedness and coverage will voluntarily and to the best of their abilities abide by these principles.

Three good resources for anyone intending to report on the avian flu are:

• The Dangers of Bird Flu by the Associated Press
• WHO Handbook for Journalists: Influenza Pandemic by the World Health Organization
• WHO Outbreak communication guidelines  by the World Health Organization