The harm that blogs can do

I was reading through my vault of blog posts from the past week or two, and a well-known blog caught my eye with the mention of an ad put out by a large organization. The ad shown was in very poor taste. The image and copy selected belittled an otherwise serious issue. I was personally appalled as it happens to be one of the organizations I support.

After thinking about the ad, I decided to send it over to a colleague who works for a chapter of said organization - just to get her reaction. And as I went to the blog to retrieve the posted ad, I noticed that the previously appalling ad had been replaced with the actual ad, which I am happy to say is much less offensive. Rather it is kind of dull -- or beyond notice.

I was glad to have done another read through of it before I sent it off to be analyzed. The error may be small, but in the big picture dynamic of how blogs can be destructive, it's significant.

Think of it this way, professional writers working as freelancers or as employees have a liability factor to contend with. Whether it come in the form of job loss or legal bills, professional writers are held accountable.

Enter random bloggers with lots of readers...

No matter how innocent the information appears, concern should always remain with the accuracy of the information behind given. Like gossip gone berserk, bloggers have a lot to learn about accountability and accuracy. Have your fun and be vocal, sure. Just make sure you have the facts first.

As for this situation, said organization should expect a visible apology and retraction from said blogger.