Saturday, July 19, 2008

"Greedy Consumers" to Blame for Altered Images?

My academic and professional colleagues have been wringing their hands for the last few years or the idea of "user generated content," also known as "citizen journalism" (a phrase we all despise). News organizations are now dealing, on a regular basis, with video and stills submitted by readers and viewers.


In a piece the Chicago Tribune posted on this issue, Bob Steele, an ethics professor at DePauw University, says: 

We're not only gullible but we're becoming greedy as consumers ... That greed is manifested in putting out a lot of information that is not properly vetted and verified. That's dangerous. Not only does it erode the credibility of news organizations, but it also erodes the confidence of our society in what we see.

Greedy consumers ... an interesting thought, no?

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