For my final turn at bat, I thought I'd look at the first section of the Code of Ethics: Be Honest and Fair.

These are three of the bullets:

• Never publish information they know is inaccurate -- and if publishing questionable information, make it clear it's in doubt.
• Distinguish between advocacy, commentary and factual information. Even advocacy writing and commentary should not misrepresent fact or context.
• Distinguish factual information and commentary from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two.

In short, it's a blogger's obligation--or at least a blogger who subscribes to this Code of Ethics--to make it clear what you're talking about,whether you have a vested interest, and whether you're making assertions or citing facts.

Sounds like basic common sense, yes? But keep in mind that the concept of objective journalism is relatively new; in the Civil War era, newspapers unabashedly had an opinion and weren't afraid to show it--much like many bloggers today.

More of an issue to me is that we've had a number of instances of severely biased journalists not disclosing that they wee on the payroll of some organization. And of course, we have one-sided coverage on the part of (just to cite one example) Fox News that pretends to be objective but in reality is anything but "fair and balanced." I rather prefer the 19th century newspapers, often named after a political party, where you didn't have to figure out where they stand.

I am not sure there actually is such a thing as "objective journalism." Every article or broadcast has a point of view, and any story can be told a dozen or a hundred ways. The question to me is whether the biases are identified.

 

Well, it's been fun. Thanks for reading here, and for making comments. I'd love to see more comments on my own blog. Come join the party. I'm about to make a post about Iraq--and my bias will be clear in the post.

Five bullets in the Blogger's Code of Ethics address the concept of minimizing harm.

Here are two of them:

Once again, I think it's not only bloggers who need to follow these guidelines; mainstream journalists, and especially TV crews, can be unbelievably insensitive. Some poor soul is grieving over a sudden unexpected tragedy, and the idiot reporter is shoving a microphone down the victim's throat and asking often very stupid questions.


With blogging, one of the issues that comes up under the do-no-harm guideline is the tendency of some bloggers to print opinion as if it's fact, or to republish accusations without either checking their veracity or making clear that you're repeating an unsubstantiated opinion.

Journalism in general, whether people's-journalism such as blogging or mainstream commentary, tends toward a presumption of guilt until proven innocent--the opposite of American criminal law. I confess I've fallen into that trap every now and then.

 And journalists' words can wreck a business a relationship, even a life. One of the reasons I do features and opinion instead of hard news is that it decreases the likelihood that I will hurt an innocent person. But it doesn't eliminate it, especially since I frequently write about business ethics scandals.

In my own blog, I'm going to make an effort to consider the effects of my words. What about you?

For me, one of the key points to consider in a discussion of ethics and blogging is pretty far down their list: * Disclose conflicts of interest, affiliations, activities and personal agendas   more »

REMINDER:
Coming next week: October 22-26, 2007 Ted Demopoulos, author of Blogging for Business tackles the issue: Should CEOs Blog?

ABOUT THE TOPIC:
"CEO Blogs" are blogs written by executives. At their best, they put a human face on huge corporations. At their worst, they have been boring... or phony... to the point of doing more harm than good.

Are CEO blogs worth the trouble? Are they worth the risks? What if a CEO can't write... or hasn't got the time to write? Can they have ghostbloggers or blog less frequently? Will that undermine the whole purpose of blogging? The week of Oct 22, Ted will answer these and other questions on IAOCblog.com.

ABOUT THE TOPIC:
The Blogosphere honors "Transparency" above all. Publishers of fake blogs or are treated like horse thieves in the old West.

But is blogging an art form or a business? Blogging guru Dave Taylor may ruffle some feathers next week with a look at whether it's OK to take pay for blogging. Is it OK to ghostwrite a blog? Are paid bloggers like bounty hunters? Or have bloggers become like any other professional writers? Then again, didn't Moliere say, "Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then for money."

ABOUT THE DISCUSSION LEADER:

Dave Taylor blogs at Intuitive Life Business Blog, Blogsmart and Ask Dave Taylor. He is esteemed for his technical and business expertise and is sure to have some important insights on what has become a controversial issue

Tune in next week. And keep your powder dry!

Using social badges that measure face to face interaction on the microscopic level allow us to predict patterns of collaboration and gain insights into how we work together on levels not possible before. At the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence we have recently experimented with what we call microscopic dynamic social network analysis.

GPS satellite based navigation systems tell us where we are and how to get where we want to go. In our research we used a similar people-based social navigation system develop at the MIT Medial Lab by Sandy Pentland’s team to better understand our position in social networks. Using social badges - body-worn sensors - we measured physical interaction of co-located people to better understand who they are, and therefore allow them  to better navigate in their own social network.

In a research project with 22 study subjects, who wore the badges during work for one month, we were able to predict social characteristics such as extroversion, neuroticism, openness, and agreeability based on microscopic social network analysis. We obtained control measures of these values with a standard psychological test NEO-FFI). High contribution index was positively correlated with extroversion, and negatively correlated with neuroticism. This means that the more people looked their communication partners into the face, the more of an extrovert they were. The less they looked them into the eyes, the higher was their score on the neuroticism test.   Fluctuation in betweenness centrality was positively correlated with openness, and negatively correlated with agreeability. In less scientific language: the more they changed between being in the center of the conversation, and by withdrawing into their offices, the more open to new things they were. The steadier their communication pattern, either as a socialite or a recluse, the higher their agreability score.  We were also able to obtain correlation between social network position and job satisfaction, and extroversion.

Of course this technology has to be used very carefully, to avoid the risk of intruding into the privacy of the individual. In our project we have alleviated this risk by only sharing individual results with each affected individual, and giving a condensed view without individual identification to management. So far study participants have reacted very positively to the insights they gained about their own communication behavior.

Microscopic social network analysis can be used to complement proven psychological tests such as the FFI. It could be used, e.g. as a further input to identify people suitable for certain professions, for example identifying the most agreeable candidates among potential recruits as police officers.  By simply wearing social badges, a user will finally be able to answer question like “Do I have more of an introvert or an extrovert communication style? What personality types do I have to bring into a meeting to make it more productive? How can I change my personal communication behavior to be more efficient? What leadership styles are most effective for a certain situation?” We hope that future research will help organizations become more innovative and productive by exploring their hidden social structures in a virtual mirror – helping members of an organization to better understand their hidden social characteristics to improve the overall organization.

I read an interesting article in The Wall Street Journal called "Download This: YouTube Phenom Has a Big secret." Marie Digby is a 24 year-old singer and guitarist who began posting "homemade" music videos on YouTube about a year ago. Her videos (mostly covers of pop songs) took YouTube by storm and ultimately launched her music career. She now has radio exposure, songs for sale on iTunes and literally millions of fans who adore her music and the "humble" way she has become a star. Two weeks ago, Hollywood Records began to spread the news that they had signed this new, talented pop star.

It turns out, however, that Marie Digby was actually signed by Hollywood Records in 2005, over a year before she posted any of her videos on YouTube. They conveniently left that detail out of the recent press release. Digby's MySpace page mentions nothing about record label involvement; and every time she has appeared on TV or the radio, she is ostensibly shocked and amazed at how she "stumbled" into recognition.

Obviously, this demonstrates the tremendous power of the Web to build meaningful awareness for any person, brand, product, service, etc. As for Hollywood Records, there is no doubt that this campaign is responsible for the high profile of Marie Digby's debut album, which was finished at the end of 2006. As for the millions of YouTube viewers who believed they were watching a self-made pop star get lucky with the opportunity of a lifetime, I'm not sure. Hollywood Records and Marie Digby: Genius marketing or deceptive tactic? 

Check out some of Marie Digby's music videos.

Today I examine the fallout from my recent Ron Paul discussion. In between the expected hostility, keen insights could be gleamed from all sides.   more »

I'm continuing our experiment at identifying top Internet PR Resources in a variety of categories. This next week, we are asking for your suggestions for articles on "blog ethics" (we don't consider that an oxymoron).

We are looking for leads to intelligent articles on subjects such as:

- Should bloggers identify conflicting or vested interests?
- Guidelines for using ghost bloggers.
- Lessons from the Wal-Mart/Edelman blogging fiasco.
- Fake blogs.
- Transparency in blogging.
- Is it okay for bloggers to accept merchandise and other payola?
- Have blogs knocked down the wall between editorial content and advertising?

I've asked students in my Tulane Internet PR class to locate and review articles on Blogging Ethics this week. Please feel free to point them to articles you like -- or post your own reviews.

Thanks for your assistance!

STEVE O'KEEFE
IAOC Vice President

"A blog can be a great way to vent about work. It can also be an invitation to a pink slip."--New York Times

As executive director of The ePolicy Institute, www.epolicyinstitute.com, I spend a great deal of time traveling the country and training employees and executives on the risks and rules of blogs, e-mail, and other electronic business communications tools. 

Without doubt, the topic of greatest concern--and confusion--to employee-bloggers is that of employee privacy versus employer monitoring and management.

Understand Your Individual Risks, Rights and Responsibilities Before You Blog

As detailed in my new book Blog Rules (Amacom 2006), www.amanet.org, the biggest risk individual employee-bloggers face is being fired (or dooced, in blog parlance) for their blog content and usage.

According to the 2006 Workplace E-Mail, Instant Messaging & Blog Survey from American Management Association and The ePolicy Institute, 2% of U.S. employers have already terminated workers for offensive blog content--including posts written on employees' personal home-based blogs.  The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that 3% of employers have disciplined employee-bloggers. SHRM also warns job hunters that more and more bosses are taking time to read job candidates' blogs, right along with their resumes. 

Blog Rule #28:  Blogging can get you fired! Hundreds of employees have been fired, or dooced, for blogging about their employers. 

That's right: Whether you are blogging at the office on company time or at home on your own computer and your own free time--an inappropriate blog post can get you fired.

At the end of the day, an ill-conceived comment, inappropriate language, or a post that violates any company policy, including ethics rules and confidentiality policy among others, could cost you your current job or keep you from landing the job of your dreams.

The First Amendment Does Not Protect Bloggers:  How to Blog Without Getting Fired

Here are 4 tips, excerpted from my book Blog Rules, for bloggers who want to keep their jobs.

Tip #1. Blogging About Your Job or the Boss May Get You Fired. Unless management has authorized you to do so, never blog about your company, its people, products, or services. No photos of yourself in your company uniform. No gossip, rumors, or disparaging remarks about the boss or your coworkers. Blogging about your employer--negatively or positively--at work or home can get you fired. So don't do it!

Tip #2.  Familiarize Yourself With Your Employer's Policies First; Blog Second.  Don't blog until you've read (and understand) all of your organization's blog rules and policies. According to American Management Association/ePolicy Institute research, of organizations have policy governing employees' business blog use and content; 7% have rules governing the content employees may post on their personal home-based blogs; 6% have policy governing personal postings on corporate blogs; 9% have rules addressing the operation of personal blogs on company time; and 5% have a strict anti-blog policy. See www.amanet.org for complete survey results.

Tip #3. The First Amendment Does Not Protect Bloggers. Many U.S. bloggers mistakenly believe that the First Amendment protects their jobs, giving them the right to write whatever they want about whomever they want.  It does not.  The First Amendment only restricts government control of speech; it says nothing about private employers.

Tip #4. Employment at Will Means You Can Be Fired for Just About Any Reason--Including Blogging.  If you work for a private employer in an employment-at-will state, your employer is free to fire you for just about any reason (including blogging) as long as federal discrimination laws aren't violated. As attorney David M. Klein of Atlanta's Buckley & Klein told the New York Times:

"It doesn't matter if you blog about skydiving or pornography. If your employer feels the blog makes you a poor representative of their corporate values, the executives have the freedom to disassociate themselves from you."

Please join me tomorrow--and everyday this week--to learn more about the Blog Rules that can help keep you employed, your employer in business...and everyone out of court.

Please join us this week December 11-15, for a blog program: Blog Rules, with discussion leader, Nancy Flynn

ABOUT THE TOPIC:

Blogs have become as essential as email and newsletters. But with news stories about everything from embarrassment in the blogosphere to legal action... blogging carries risks. Know how to protect yourself and your company. Blog safely.

ABOUT THE DISCUSSION LEADER:

Nancy Flynn is the author of the new book, Blog Rules: A Business Guide to Managing Policy, Public Relations, and Legal Issues from Amacom Books. Nancy is founder and executive director of The ePolicy Institute, and author of the books: The ePolicy Handbook and E-Mail Rules.

Debbie Weil's questions about the advisability and ethics of ghostwritten CEO blogs raises a broader question about the future of blog standards. If blogs become as widespread as websites, will the same community standards be enforced (or enforceable)? Will the average reader know (or care) about the standards? Amy Gahran rightly pointed out in her comment that today ghost written blogs (or other types of phony blogs for that matter) will be outed by the blogosphere. That works in online communities where there are sufficient numbers of independent bloggers who care about such things. Isn't it possible, perhaps likely, that online environments will emerge where people are completely oblivious to today's standards?

Will there be different standards and expectations for different blogosphere communities? For example, do you distinguish between individual blogs with a single voice and group or corporate blogs? Even within individual blogs, there must be different levels of expectation for the personal musings blog, the citizen journalist blog, the industry expert blog, the enthusiast blog, or the CEO blog.

If you spend a lot of time reading, commenting and/or writing blogs, it's easy to assume that the blogosphere standards are universal. But when I step away from my computer and go out and talk to people, I find almost universal ignorance of a blog ethic. Whether I talk to students, or to engineers, or to managers ranging from manufacturing to services, I find many who read about blogs and hear about blogs in the mainline media. But very few say they actually read blogs. Fewer still get RSS feeds, or know what it is. Almost none have commented on a blog. I find far more students actively involved with social media like Facebook, MySpace and YouTube than with blogs. If blogging is to continue its torrid rate of growth, it seems to me the blogosphere may be approaching the point where it transitions from a small village ethic to a multi-layered urban ethic. What's your take?

Don Dunnington

The AuthorViews Tour has finished its first leg. On July 7, I rolled into Bellingham, Washington, home of cameraman and tech guru, Jesse Vohs. I'll be working and playing in Bellingham for the next three weeks before the AuthorViews Tour resumes with a West Coast swing. As online communicators, you might want to learn a little about Jesse Vohs; he may be your worst nightmare. You see, Jesse Vohs is a hacker.   more »

Covey�s "7 Habits" is a dense and thought-filled book, full of quotable, almost Emersonian one-liners. Following are my favorite one-liners for PR professionals and online communicators. For anyone seeking help in learing how one becomes transparent in a blog, here is a good strating point.   more »