Blogging Rules and Ethics

WeBlog @ RP
Blogging Rules and Ethics

1. Publish as fact only that which you believe to be true.

If you think a statement is a speculation, state it so. If you have reason to believe that something is not true, seek recommendations from the advisor or the President/Vice and note your reservations. When you make an assertion, do so in good faith; state it as fact only if, to the best of your knowledge, it is so.

2. If material exists online, link to it when you reference it.

Linking to referenced material allows readers to judge for themselves the accuracy and insightfulness of your statements. Additionally, some sources are subject to copyrighted information. It is wise to seek permission first before copying content and do make reference. On the rare occasion when a writer wishes to reference but not drive traffic to a site he/she considers to be morally reprehensible (for example, a hate site), he/she should type out (but not link) the name or URL of the offending site. This will give motivated readers the information they need to find the site in order to make their own judgment. This strategy allows the writer to preserve her own transparency (and thus her integrity) while simultaneously declining to lend support to a cause she finds contemptible.

3. Publicly correct any misinformation.

If you find that you have linked to a story that was untrue, make a note of it and link to a more accurate report. If one of your own statements proves to be inaccurate, note your misstatement and the truth. Ideally, these corrections would appear in the most current version of your blog entry and as an added note to the original entry. (Remember that search engines will pull up entries without regard to when they were posted; once an entry exists in your archives, it may continue to spread an untruth even if you corrected the information a few days later.) If you aren’t willing to add a correction to previous entries, at least note it in a later post.

4. Write each entry as if it could not be changed; add to, but do not rewrite or delete, any entry.

Post deliberately. If you invest each entry with intent, you will ensure your personal and professional integrity. Changing or deleting entries destroys the integrity of the network.
Make a point never to post anything you are not willing to stand behind even if you later disagree. Work to be thoughtful and accurate, no matter how angry or excited you are about a particular topic. If you change my opinion in a day or two, do note the change.
If you discover that you have posted erroneous information, you must note this publicly on the WeBlog. Deleting the offending entry will do nothing to correct the misinformation your readers have already absorbed. Taking the additional step of adding a correction to the original entry will ensure that Google broadcasts accurate information into the future.

5. Disclose any conflict of interest.

Quickly note any potential conflict of interest and then say your piece; your readers will have all the information they need to assess your commentary. If you tend to take side on a variable in your entry, do state it.

6. Note questionable and biased sources.

When a serious article comes from a highly biased or questionable source, you have a responsibility to clearly note the nature of the source of which it was found. Do retrieve information from the source such as the Student’s name and other details relating to the post before sending it for approval.

Adapted from The Weblog Handbook