Increase Credibility With Visible Ethics Policies

At Steve Outing‘s suggestion, I surfed over to the San Jose Mercury News website to read Dan Gillmor‘s final technology column. Before I closed my browser tab, however, a listing in the left nav caught my eye. Under “Site Services,” there was a link to the “Mercury News Ethics Policy.” This single-page document offers readers a comprehensive look at how the paper and its website handle fairness and accuracy, freelancing, radio and television appearances, conflicts of interest, gifts and honorariums, plagiarism, unidentified sources, transparency, and corrections.

A recent Gallup poll showed that the American public has a very low opinion of journalists. Perhaps publishing our ethics policies on the Web — and in print at least once a year — will help readers better understand what professional standards we set for ourselves as we cover current events.