News Releases

RTDNA Releases Social Media, Blogging Guidelines for Journalists

Contact: Ryan Murphy, 202.495.8730, ryanm@rtdna.org

For Immediate Release: February 3, 2010

WASHINGTON – As a supplement to its Code of Ethics – the ethical standard that  newsrooms have followed for decades – RTDNA released its new social media and blogging guidelines on Wednesday to help journalists adapt to the unique ethical situations presented in digital news.

The guidelines use the core principles of truth, fairness, accountability, and transparency.  They address image and reputation preservation as well as the decision-making processes that journalists and manager must undergo to decide what will work in their newsrooms.  The main principle of the guidelines is not to lay down a list of laws to follow, but to take journalists through questions they can ask themselves as they tread new turf on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and more.

“These guidelines will be instantly valuable in just about every newsroom across the country,” said RTDNA Chairman Stacey Woelfel.  “I can guarantee that anyone reading the new guidelines has already dealt with at least one of these issues.  Now there is a way to weigh your editorial decisions regarding social media and blogging.”

Readers of the new guidelines will find help with corrections for social media postings, ethical use of online photos and videos, anonymous postings, sponsored links, and personal social media posting, among other topics.  Each section also contains points for newsroom discussion to help make the guidelines clear and lead journalists to their own policies.

The guidelines were written by a team led by Al Tompkins, Poynter Institute Broadcast/Online Group Leader.  Also participating were RTDNA Ethics Committee Chairman Kevin Benz, RTDNA Chairman Stacey Woelfel, attorney Richard Goehler, RTDNF Director of Education Projects Carol Knopes, RTDNF Executive Director Kathleen Graham and RTDNA Digital Media Editor Ryan Murphy.

The guidelines were created through RTDNF’s Journalism Ethics Project sponsored by a generous grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.

To read the full guidelines, click here.


About RTDNA

RTDNA is the world’s largest professional organization devoted exclusively to electronic journalism. RTDNA represents local and network journalists in broadcasting, cable and other electronic media in more than 30 countries. Along with the Radio Television Digital Foundation, RTDNA sponsors scholarships, fellowships, training seminars, mentoring programs and more as part of its diversity efforts
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