The See-Through Site

Doing Ethics in Online Journalism

© 2007 Michelle Johnson

Winston-Salem Journal

Thou Shalt Not …

• Online journalism ethics are ultimately no different than print journalism ethics. But the technology sometimes puts a new twist on things. That said:

• Plagiarism goes beyond words and extends to photos, graphics, video etc. So you can link to them. You might also reference the content if you think it might disappear.

The side of caution

• Copyleft: You might look for content that is licensed for use through Creative Commons.

• Fair-Use provisions of copyright laws.

• Don’t take freebies. It’s OK to get into an event for free if you’re covering it. If you get stuff, give it away. Conflicts, real or perceived, are a problem.

If your mother says…

• Verify facts through independent reporting.

• If you’re not sure, check a story against a database of hoaxes.

• Give your subject a heads up.

To add, to alter

• The libel laws that protect the press also protect the press online. But the ethical lines are much blurrier.

• When should editors consider altering the content of archived stories online?

• What are the alternatives?

Bellwether case

• “As a culture, we are very bad at thinking about technology. We look to it either as something to fear or as a panacea for the flaws of the human condition. Technology is neither. It is merely an extension of our own wills and capabilities.”

• -Siva Vaidhyanathan, author of Copyrights and Copywrongs, posting on MSNBC blog about the Cho manifesto.

The Cho Manifesto case

• Cho sends package to NBC.• NBC issues statement on its decision to

post and air parts of the manifesto.• Different of Web from print or broadcast

when it comes to content like this?• How did speed of the Web change the

dynamics of this story?• How does who you serve change what

you do?

Think and Write Tight

• Research tells us that Web readers don’t read, they scan.

• And they spend, on average, 27 seconds on a page.

• So write tight. Active verbs, plain English. Write like you’d say it. Write like radio.

• And don’t bury the lede.

More writing tips

• Think like radio. Think immediacy. Speed is the highest priority on the Web when it comes to breaking news.

• That said, accuracy doesn’t take a back seat to speed. Correct your errors quickly. And once you’ve started, keep up with the story.

• Dump the puns in headlines. What works in print won’t always work on the Web.

Formatting

• Short paragraphs

• Headings: Be clear about what’s on the page.

• Insert subheds to help scanners make sense of long chunks of text.

• Boldface type may help as a navigational aid to text as well.

Links

• Links should be worded so that people have a sense of what they’re getting when they follow them.

• Broken links break trust.

• Pay attention to how they look. Keep them short, make them a (pleasant) different color.

Resources

• Sivacracy.net

• http://cyberjournalist.net

• Online Journalism Review

• Rewriting History

• Mindy McAdams’ handy Web writing tips