The kind of responsibility that has me sign put my name on every byline to every article I write.

Blogging is simply a medium. The type of medium does not confer authority nor imply responsibility. At the end of the day, now that a medium exists which allows popular reporting, it's the name of the reporter or opinion maker that matters.

And again, mine appears on everything that I write.

Cheers,
Stephen Taylor

Hi Stephen:

I don't speak for Ms. O'Malley, but I suspect she was talking about reporters, not pundits.

Most media pundits who have been career journos are politically non-aligned.

You are a citizen pundit who is clearly politically aligned (not that there's anything wrong with it).

And yes, by posting under your real name, that earns you more cred than some anonymous, vitriolic pyjamahedeen would.

Transparency of that type is one part of being responsible. But there are other factors that work towards building a reputation for credibility. Impartiality, fair-minded, being accurate and in context, and being quick to repair mistakes are other key components of credibility.

Many, if not most, political blogs are there to "persuade," not report impartially. They are also largely opinion, which may or may not be fact-based. They should be read with that proviso in mind.

Personally, I think the bar is and should be higher for professional journalists.

G'nite
Bill D.