Blogging Code Of Ethics

Social Media is a hot topic these days. I have a small tech business centered around publishing my content on social networks. I have many faithful readers, followers, commentators and posters. I’ve been using social media to reach people for a while because I’m passionate and eager to learn from them.

I speak at many conferences, seminars, webinars, universities and tweet-ups on the topic. I also get many requests from other companies seeking advice and, in the spirit of social media itself, we have been open to sharing. To that end, I put together a blogging code of ethics.

There’s a lot of controversy in the blogosphere about izea/pay-for-post and the general issue of companies paying bloggers to generate content about them. While some people feel it’s perfectly fine, as a more traditional journalist, I’m one of those who does not.

Here is my top 8 list for blogging ethics:

1. Fact Check: Don’t spread rumors. Double check your facts.

2. Update: If news changes or stories progress update old posts and text with current and relevant information. When you make a mistake or make incorrect statements reverse and update them. Don’t update and erase. Update with a line through or note.

3. Tell it how it is: If there are stories, images and/or videos being posted, mixed-mashed, photoshopped or damaged report those findings in ways that could have a false representation of the event that actually took place.

4. Disclosure: Avoid letting advertisers influence content. If a company is paying for posts that needs to be disclosed.

5. Ego: don’t ever begin to believe that you’re better, smarter or more priveledged than your audience. they will see it as arrogance and you will lose them, quickly. your fans are everything. without them, you’d be nothing.

6. Minimize harm: Don’t call names. Have integrity and credibility

7. Honest and Fair: Don’t plagiarize, link to where you get your ideas

8. Be accountable: Treat others how you wish to be treated, have a mission, admit to mistakes and typos, be wary of doing favors for advertisers so they don’t influence the content.