In the 24/7 Web news cycle, speed is often the first priority in getting a story out. Speed has always been an issue in journalism but now, because of the Web, it has become an even more pressing issue. Is the standard of "it's better to be second and right than first and wrong" becoming a mantra of the past?

Andrea Panciera, Projo.com's editor, said the site uses blogging as a simple, quick reporting tool, not to express opinion. Blogs are still viewed as news and are held to the same standards as print when it comes to accuracy, objectivity, and sourcing. Accuracy becomes an issue when speed is a factor, and the story also has fewer edits before being published. Panciera said that in print journalism reporters had hours to deliberate and had copy editors fact checking the stories before they went to press.

Photojournalism and video journalism are more popular now than ever due to Web journalism. John Poole, a videographer for NPR, advised that journalists "take photo and video just as seriously as they would a print product." He said that in an ideal world people would ascribe traditional photojournalistic ethics into their video and photojournalism, but with people not always trained in journalism posting to blogs rapidly from camera phones the standards are harder to implement.

Bloggers are also less likely to ascribe to a code of ethics. Bloggers have a "we don't need no stinkin' badges mentality," said Bob Cox, founder of Media Bloggers Association. Cox said that bloggers like to have a fresh unedited voice and view ethics as a way of "selling out" and applying outdated ethics to new media.

Bob Steele published a list of 10 ethical that should be adapted as a standard for online publishing. By making these standard they would still be commonplace when speed becomes a pressing issue:

-What do I know? What do I need to know?
-What is my journalistic purpose?
-What are my ethical concerns?
-What organizational policies and professional guidelines should I consider?
-How can I include other people, with different perspectives and diverse ideas, in the decision-making process?
-Who are the stakeholders--those affected by my decision? What are their motivations? -Which are legitimate?
-What if the roles were reversed? How would I feel if I were in the shoes of one of the stakeholders?
-What are the possible consequences of my actions? Short term? Long term?
-What are my alternatives to maximize my truth-telling responsibility and minimize harm?
-Can I clearly and fully justify my thinking and my decision? To my colleagues? To the stakeholders? To the public?

"Ethics have changed so much recently, it's safe to say that in 5 or 10 years there will be a totally different set," said Panciera. Up-to-date information on online ethics can be found at the Online Ethics Wiki.

--Ashleigh Bennett