p2pnet.net News:- Anyone can comment on p2pnet without disclosing his, her or its identity. That’s the way it’s been since Day One, and that’s the way it’ll always be. I don’t know where, or from whom, a comment post comes, and I don’t want to know.

It’s all about freedom of speech which to me is the most precious of all human rights.

Anyone who comes to p2pnet can, in a few seconds, find out I run it. It’s no secret here or anywhere else. I put my name where my mouth is.

Unnamed slag posts, or flames, are one thing. Detailed criticisms are another. They count for nothing unless the writers have the courage of their convictions, openly stating who they are. Authors’ credibility and the value of whatever they’re saying depends absolutely on their identifying themselves and their affiliations, if any.

On p2pnet and many other sites, ‘Anonymous coward’ is short for people who post without registering. Janie, who wrote the original p2pnet cms, included the phrase and I left it there. I don’t take it seriously and I don’t believe most comment posters do either.

However, once in a while ‘Anonymous Coward’ is apt and I think whoever posted the item below fits the bill. It comes in p2pnet’s final days? in which, as I say on the index page intro, “p2pnet has been hit with a massive loss of income – 80%, to be precise. If the site is to survive, the hole has somehow to be plugged and a host found. We’re looking for new funding, and a partner or collaborator. They say as one door closes, another opens. So now we’re looking for the door-knob : )”

Is the poster associated with a corporate entertainment or software company? Who knows? And frankly, who cares? The cartels are big, they’re ugly and and they’re dishonest and corrupt, meaning anything they say can immediately be dismissed out of hand. But the post raises points I’m going to address.

So >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Anonymous Coward: Seems to me your troubles stem more from your inability to provide a product that has value, or be a journalist and your unwillingness to separate your “journalism” from your own biases and advertisers – that’s my opinion.

Jon Newton: Your opinion? Who are you? What’s your email address? Where do you live? Who do you work for?

Anonymous Coward: Slyck seems to be able to support itself.

Jon Newton: And more power to it. But what has Slyck to do with the price of eggs?

Anonymous Coward: Real journalists comply with the ethical code below – do you?

Jon Newton: You didn’t define ‘real journalists’ but I think I know what you mean. However, ‘real journalists’ are a dying breed, ‘real journalism’ is a dying trade and although the code you mention, which I’ve never seen before, reads well, these days, very few ‘real journalists’ (or the publications for which they work) subscribe or adhere to it, or anything like it.

Anonymous Coward: How can you justify not disclosing the identity and motivation of the European group that was so anxious to keep you alive?

Jon Newton: Have I tried to justify it and do I need to? As far as I’m concerned, they helped keep p2pnet online for six months, for which I thank them. But now, for reasons of their own to which I’m not privy, they’ve decided to withdraw the support. I’m sorry, but that’s the way things are and I’m grateful for the help they gave while they could.

Anonymous Coward: How can you justify not disclosing the advertiser that has kept you alive and the influences both have had upon your “work”.

Jon Newton: Is this a statements or a question? The lack of a question mark makes it hard to tell. Anyway, p2pnet’s advertisers are clearly identified, and always have been. And they have zero influence on me or what I write.

Anonymous Coward: How can you claim to be a journalist and have such clear biases against certain of the subjects of your so called “articles” and in favor of those who pay to keep you going.

Jon Newton: Again, is this a statements or a question? Firstly, these days I’m a blogger and, “Blogs often provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries,” says the Wikipedia. “A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual although some focus on photographs (photoblog), sketchblog, videos (vlog), or audio (podcasting), and are part of a wider network of social media.”

On the other hand, a journalist is “a writer for newspapers and magazines,” and although I’ve been that too, it was a long time ago.

To myself, I’m someone who’s deeply offended by the bald-faced hypocrisy and dishonesty displayed, day in, day out, by the entertainment and software cartels, as well as by many, if not most, of the large, obscenely rich corporations which are doing their best to take over the web and subjugate its users so they can further enrich themselves. And thanks to the Net, I’m able to say so. I’m also terrified by the way in which the same corporations are penetrating our schools and poisoning the minds of our children. And I say so. I’m similarly disgusted with the way in which the administrations, politicians and enforcement agencies who supposedly exist to serve us in fact serve the cartels. And I say so.

I also include as many actual ‘news’ items as I can on subjects I hope will interest people who read p2pnet. I’d like to include more, but I’m only one person. Are the news posts biased? No more so than any similar reports in the mainstream media, many of which are barely disguised advertorials. And advertisers are mentioned only when it’s appropriate.

Anonymous Coward: Is it not telling that you do not have the quantity and quality of readers to attract sufficient advertizing to keep p2pnet going?

Jon Newton: To address the first part of this, you do not have the quantity and quality of readers, I may not have quantity, but I certainly have quality and for you to suggest otherwise is an unwarranted insult to them.

And on the second part, to attract sufficient advertizing to keep p2pnet going, I either ignore or turn down five or six requests a month. If I accepted them, I’d be a hell of a lot better off financially than I am now, but I’d be letting myself and p2pnet readers down. If I had to give odds on whether or not p2pnet is going to survive or go down, I’d says it’s 7-1 in my favour. In other words, p2pnet will keep going and one of the things I’ll do, and which I’ve been trying to do for at least two years, is have separate categories for posts. This will enable me to attract different kinds of ads. At the moment, everything goes into a giant archive which seriously limits p2pnet’s advertising potential.

Anonymous Coward: What does the survival of Slyck tell you about honesty, disclosure and market forces?

Jon Newton: Again, why drag Slyck into this? But since you have, neither Tom nor Ray seem to feel the need to go into detail on whom, or from where, they get their funding. And why should they? It’s their business and no one else’s. But it doesn’t matter because this is an absurd non-question. Slyck’s survival, or otherwise, has absolutely nothing to do with “honesty, disclosure and market forces,” or with p2pnet.

Anonymous Coward: I am really interested to receive your comments on how the disclosures in your article/sob story above allow you to claim compliance with the Canadian journalism code of ethics:

Jon Newton: I never have, and don’t now, claim compliance with the Canadian journalism code of ethics. As to my comments on it:

CEP Journalism Code of Ethics
(A code adopted on 17 December 2004 by the CEP, the Communications, Energy and Paperwork Union, one of the largest unions in Canada, formed in 1992 through a merger of three smaller unions)

Preamble

Journalists report, analyse, and comment on the facts that help their fellow citizens understand the world in which they live. Complete, accurate and diverse information and commentary are necessary for the proper functioning of democracy.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms recognizes this by guaranteeing freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Journalists must defend the freedom of the press and the public’s right to information; they must fight any restrictions, pressures and threats that aim to limit the gathering and dissemination of information.

Facts and ideas that are in the public interest must circulate freely.

Our legal traditions give media privilege and protection. We must return this trust through the ethical practice of our craft. A free press should serve the public interest, not personal or specific interests. Serving the public interest must override any desire to favour the financial and competitive needs of news organizations or their parent companies.

The rights and responsibilities of a free press apply to both individual journalists and to news organizations that employ them.

Journalists must take their role very seriously. They must demand of themselves the same ethical qualities they demand of newsmakers; in other words, they cannot denounce other people’s conflicts of interest, and at the same time, accept their own.

This Code establishes the principles that should guide journalistic work in organizations where CEP collective agreements are in force. These principles lay the foundation for a journalist’s most precious asset: credibility.

Therefore, those of us engaged in journalism and newsroom management commit ourselves to: truth, honesty, fairness, independence and respect for the rights of others. To achieve these goals the following principles shall govern our activity in the collection and dissemination of news and opinion:

PRINCIPLES

1) We shall at all times defend the principle of the freedom of the press and other media in relation to the collection of information and the expression of comment and criticism.

I do that. Would that it were so in all on- and offline publication.

2) We shall strive to eliminate distortion, news suppression and censorship.

I do that.

3) We shall strive to ensure that the information disseminated is fair and accurate, avoiding the expression of comment and conjecture as established fact and falsification by distortion, selection or misrepresentation.

I do that.

4) We shall give an accurate account of what people say. Quotations, editing, sound effects, etc., and the sequence in which they are presented, must not distort the meaning of people’s words.

I must admit I don’t follow this to the letter. I sometimes over- or under emphasise statements from politicians, cartel and corporate leaders, and others, for effect and/or to lend weight to a point.

5) We shall rectify promptly any harmful inaccuracies, ensure that correction and apologies receive due prominence and afford the right of reply to persons criticized when the issue is of sufficient importance.

I do that exactly, promptly and prominently, unlike some on- and offline publications which deliberately bury corrections where no one can see them .

6) We shall give people or organizations that are publicly accused or criticized prompt opportunity to respond. We shall make a genuine and exhaustive effort to contact them. If they decline to comment we will say so.

That’s what p2pnet Reader’s Writes are for, among other things. Do I, “make … exhaustive effort to contact them”? Yes, when the situation truly calls for it, but No, when it comes to the cartels and their spokespeople. There’s no point.

7) We shall tell sources who are unfamiliar with the media that their remarks may be published or broadcast and thus communicated to a large group of people.

I do that and when they ask not to be identified, I honour their requests.

We shall obtain information, photographs and illustrations only by straightforward means. The use of other means can be justified only by over-riding considerations of the public interest. A journalist is entitled to exercise a personal conscientious objection to the use of such means.

I comply.

9) We shall ensure that photographs, graphics, sounds and images that are published or broadcast represent reality as accurately as possible. Artistic concerns shall not result in public deception. Edited images and photographs shall be identified as such.

p2pnet pix are often modified in the interests of satire, or to point up a situation. But they’re never meant to deceive and it’s highly unlikely they’ll be taken for anything other than what they are.

10) We shall always credit the originating news organization or reporter so that readers/viewers know the sources of their information.

I’m always at pains to comply.

11) We shall never plagiarize. If we use an exclusive piece of information that has just been published or broadcast by another media organization, we shall identify the source.

See above.

12) Subject to the justification by over-riding considerations of the public interest, we shall do nothing that entails intrusion into private grief and distress.

I fully agree and comply.

13) We shall respect everyone’s right to a fair trial. We shall respect the presumed innocence of everyone before the courts. When we have covered an incident where individuals have been incriminated and prosecuted, we will continue to follow the story as closely as possible, and ensure the public is informed of the end result.

I couldn’t agree more.

14) We shall identify sources of information, except when there is a clear and pressing reason to protect anonymity. When this happens, we will explain the need for anonymity.

I agree, which is one of the reasons I’m bring sued.

15) We shall endeavour to protect confidential sources of information, but since there are no shield laws protecting journalists in Canada we may be ordered by a court or judicial inquiry to divulge confidential sources upon threat of jail. Therefore we must convey that clearly to our sources.

I don’t “endeavour to,” I do. A source’s identity is to me sacrosanct and I would never reveal it, even under a court order.

16) We shall not accept bribes nor shall we allow other inducements to influence the performance of our journalistic duties.

Wouldn’t dream of it. Would that the same could be said of some mainstream media ‘journalists’.

17) We shall not lend ourselves to the distortion or suppression of the truth because of advertising or other considerations.

I agree.

18) Columnists shall be free to express their views, even when those views are contrary to the editorial views of their organization, as long as the content does not breach the law.

I agree.

19) We shall only mention a person’s age, ethnic background, colour, creed, illegitimacy, disability, marital status (or lack of it), gender or sexual orientation if this information is strictly relevant. We shall neither originate nor process material that encourages discrimination, ridicule, prejudice or hatred on any of the above-mentioned grounds.

I comply.

20) We shall not take private advantage of information gained in the course of our duties, before the information is public knowledge.

I agree.

21) We shall not use our positions to obtain any benefit or advantage in commercial transactions not available to the public.

I agree.

22) We shall not by way of statement, voice or appearance endorse by advertisement any commercial product or service save for the promotion of our own work or of the organization that employs us.

I agree.

23) We shall clearly identify infomercials so they are not in any way confused ‘ even by their layout’ with information.

I agree.

24) We shall cover events sponsored by our own organizations with the same rigor we apply to every other event.

n/a

25) We shall not act as police informers or as agents for any country’s security or intelligence services.

I agree.

Cheers! And thanks. And all the best …
Jon

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If your Net access is blocked by government restrictions, try Psiphon from the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto’s Munk Centre for International Studies. Go here for the official download, here for the p2pnet download, and here for details. And if you’re Chinese and you’re looking for a way to access independent Internet news sources, try Freegate, the DIT program written to help Chinese citizens circumvent web site blocking outside of China. Download it here.

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