Are ethics history?

After reading just a few of these ethics I started to think that bloggers and twitter users actually apply some of these ethics to their writing without even realizing it. Many times if they write a news update, they'll include a link to a video or the source to where they found the information. This would be under the ethic of identifying the source. They also usually have headlines or subjects that aren't misleading and try to find an accurate picture that isn't distorted.

I noticed that a few of the ethics were also thrown to the side, regarding several methods of online information such as forums, answer sites, blogs, and social sites like facebook and twitter. These 3 grabbed my attention quickly:
— Examine their own cultural values and avoid imposing those values on others.
— Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status.
— Support the open exchange of views, even views they find repugnant.
People can be harsh! One of my friends wrote about Michael Jackson's funeral and how she was excited that the excessive news coverage was finally over. This opened up a big window for arguments and attacks on her and her beliefs. They started attacking the fact that she was a Christian and criticized her for being judgemental and hypocritical. In my opinion, she should've worded what she said more carefully; it's very easy to offend others.

I think minimizing harm is difficult to do, especially over the internet. It's hard to know if what you're talking about will bring up bad memories for others. You never know if what you're talking about will reach someone who was involved in the situation. Many people don't show good taste online and just write what they feel like writing without taking any kind of consideration into how it will affect others.

I found the last statement under the section "Be Accountable" very interesting. It says, "Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others." There is a double standard, people want to be treated with a certain respect but when it comes to their own opinion they don't care who they hurt or offend. Some people try as hard as they can to act how they expect others to act, but most are completely tasteless and rude.

Overall, I think it's about equal. I think many ethics are applied to online journalism but the ethics that I see as most important are thrown out the window, making the internet a very dangerous, harsh place.