Elizabeth Geli

He implored all of us to go out into the world and change journalism for the better. And then went on a self-described "rant" about journalism and the way things are going now. It was one of the most inspiring talks about journalism that I've heard in a very long time.

..you do not talk about Twitter. Just kidding.

According to Professor Robert Hernandez, the first rule of Twitter is: "Don't ask why." I could not possibly agree more. If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me "What's the point of Twitter?" "Who cares?" or "No one cares if I'm eating a sandwich." I'd probably have about $134 dollars. And despite my wealth of imaginary smug-money, I'd just as soon pay it all back if I never had to answer those questions again.

One of the rules of new media, and maybe of life is: "with great power comes great responsibility." This quote, made famous by Spider-Man's Uncle Ben, was brought up several times by Professor Robert Hernandez in just the first couple days of USC Annenberg's Introduction to Specialized Journalism course. 

Several theories about the origin of the quote have emerged. Some believe that Spider-Man creator Stan Lee adapted the quote from a speech that FDR planned to give, but died just before he was set to deliver it. The speech was later published with the quote "today we have learned in the agony of war that great power involves great responsibility." Others give credit to a whole other kind of superhero--Jesus Christ. The King James Version reads "for unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." (Luke 12:48)

However no exact source has been determined, and thus Lee is given the credit for the line, and the character of Uncle Ben made it famous in the 2002 film. Peter Parker uses the mantra as a guiding principle during his career as the crime-fighting hero Spider-Man

Hernandez of course wasn't talking about web journalists slinging themselves from building to building, (get it? WEB journalists?) but referring to the power given to us by new technologies. With the power to publish always at our fingertips, making sure we're giving out correct, appropriate, and quality information becomes more important than ever.

All this Spidey-talk got me thinking--what kind journalistic ethics were practiced by Spider-Man? Peter Parker would set up cameras on the side of buildings and then purposely get in to a tussle with a bank robber or a mugger. After that he'd sell the photos to the tabloid-y Daily Bugle, under the dubious leadership of J. Jonah Jameson. Parker was really more of a PR guy for himself--sending staged photos to the media and tipping off the paparazzi. He's the original version of the coincidentally nicknamed Speidi (MTV tabloid power-couple Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag). In Spider-Man 3, when the also dubious photojournalist Eddie Brock tries to compete with Parker, Spider-Man steals his girlfriend, humiliates him, and causes him to turn into an evil mutant. What a way to treat your competitors. 

While Spider-Man does listen to his uncle's advice when rescuing damsels-in-distress or a tram car full of schoolchildren, he clearly never thought about applying the concept to his journalistic endeavors. However we can still learn from his mistakes, and the mistakes of web journalists before us, by remembering that "with great power comes great responsibility."