PressEthic

Leroy Sievers, Writer of NPR’s ‘My Cancer’ blog, is expressing concern over something unusual: the number of hits on his page.

Sievens wrote on his site:

“The way we measure how we're doing in journalism is by counting the number of people who watch our work. There are a lot of people who look at the My Cancer blog. And that's good from a business standpoint. But when you stop and think about it, it's actually pretty sad.”

While online journalism provides a daily information source for millions of Americans, an equally crucial attribute of blogs is the public forum they have established, not just for other writers, but for those who stumble upon them as readers. While a personal letter to the editor usually disappeared into the void in pre-internet age, today’s blog and news readers can post an electronic response to a story and see it appear on the page within seconds.

‘My Cancer’ is a highly personal account of Sievens’s fight with cancer. Meanwhile, however, it is undeniably tied to the news medium by appearing on NPR’s site. As the line between discussion boards and online news sites blur, some media representatives can more visibly take an activist responsibility.

“When NPR started this blog, we were hoping that we'd get a number of responses, and we have. One of the things that surprised me, though, is that so many of you write in not to comment about anything I've said, but rather, and more importantly, to tell your own stories. That's something we hadn't expected. Every day, so many of you write in to talk about your own cases, or those of loved ones or family members. And I'm thrilled that we can be a place for you to do that.”

Sometimes, however, the knowledge of widespread public discussion can be startling. By exploring into personal territory a journalist’s role expands from information provider to source of psychological comfort. While written personal accounts have always provided solace to readers, the existence of a publicly shaped internet site makes this phenomenon vivid and ever-present. Every time a reader posts a comment, the blogger is reminded of a weighty responsibility.

Sievens writes:

“I guess we could find some solace in the knowledge that we're not alone, that so many others are walking the same path. But that's little comfort; in fact, it's no comfort at all. I think this is all a sign that something has gone wrong. Far too many people are facing cancer. Somehow, some way, it has to be stopped. It just has to be.”

'My Cancer' blog