University of Alaska Student Objects to Mike Doogan Outing Mudflats Blogger

Opinion

Chris Todd is a University of Alaska Fairbanks student who lives in Sitka. She is working on a Rural Development degree. Rural Development degrees can be earned either on the Fairbanks campus or from anywhere in Alaska through distance education.

As part of their course of study, Rural Development students typically visit the Capitol in Juneau when the state legislature is in session to meet with Alaska lawmakers. Ms. Todd and fellow RD students in recent weeks met with legislators during the current legislative session. One RD activity included a panel that included Rep. Mike Doogan, D-Anchorage, and three other participants. Since that time, Mr. Doogan has found himself the instigator of a bitter controversy, sparked after he revealed the identity of a previously anonymous blogger, The Mudflats, whose blog has a large statewide and national following.

Ms. Todd expresses her opinion to Rep. Doogan about The Mudflats controversy in a letter to him, which is printed below.

Dear Representative Doogan,

While it is certainly your right to have the following opinion: "My own theory about the public process is you can say what you want, as long as you are willing to stand behind it using your real name," as written on your web page, (here) it looks like a justification of your mean-spirited outing of the author of the Mudflats blog (AKM). themudflats.net

You recently addressed, as part of a four-person panel, a group of UAF Rural Development students who were visiting Juneau for a class seminar. One of the main topics, as I recall that morning, was the lack of reporting in Alaska due to the shrinking resources facing many newspapers, radio and TV stations, and the advent of the Internet, where many people are now getting their news.

I had the impression during that short panel session that you were not a fan of blogging and your recent action vis a vis AKM certainly solidifies my impression. There was also some discussion of ethics during this panel. Your actions in the "outing" of the AKM author make any comments you made on the ethics issue moot, as you clearly have little to offer on this topic. As you surely know from your many years as a journalist, many "unnamed sources" daily speak to reporters under anonymity in order to protect themselves, their bosses, or for a variety of other reasons. In view of this fact, your above-mentioned quote is seemingly in direct conflict with your journalistic practices during your previous occupation.

Why did you not, if this "theory" of yours is what you really believe to be true, reveal your sources when reporting or why indeed, even grant your sources anonymity in the first place? The answer to this question is obvious: protection for your source. I cannot believe that you, of all people, would reveal the AKM author, showing no respect for the principle of anonymity, a principle that you spent years perfecting as a journalist. Your actions as they pertain to AKM and the "outing" of the author of the Mudflats blog is reprehensible and smacks of a temper tantrum on your part, taking away from your credibility not only as a legislator, but as a journalist.

Shame on you.

Chris Todd

Sitka, Alaska

Chris Todd is a University of Alaska Fairbanks student who lives in Sitka. She is working on a Rural Development degree. Rural Development degrees can ben earned either on the Fairbanks campus or from anywhere in Alaska through distance education.

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