Journalists are losing credibility as more and more Americans write off the press as too biased. At the same time, the rise in citizen journalism means a growing number of people are sharing their ideas online without the benefit of professional training, editing or fact-checking. Finally, marketers are learning to exploit new media by finding new ways to spread ideas and evangelize products to turn a profit. Amid all of this change, the truth often loses out.
Trained as a journalist, I now spend my days trying to bring more truth and transparency to the Web through SpinSpotter, whose Spinoculars toolbar makes it easy for people to call out, mark up, rewrite and share examples of spin, bias or inaccuracy online. My job title: SpinSpotter's Community Manager. My goal: to get others to speak out whenever they see the journalists, marketers or PR professionals being less than honest in their reporting and messaging. I'm also active in Seattle's "The Pitch" events, where blogger Jason Preston invites print journalists and new media professionals to discuss hurdles and possibilities for the uncertain future of journalism.
I'd be thrilled to moderate next week's #journchat and explore how we can all work together––journalists, bloggers, marketers and PR professionals––to bring integrity, truth and transparency to all online communications, even as we find new ways to take advantage of this brave new media world.
Oh, and I promise to bring my crystal ball.
For more on my involvement in this important conversation, see my posts on our SpinSpotter WordPress blog.
