No matter whether you’re just a reader of newspapers or actually involved in the production of one, surely you’ve noticed how Facebook has become the standard method for attracting readers to news stories — so much that the American Society of Newspaper Editors has put out a list of ten best practices.
- Traditional ethics rules still apply online.
- Assume everything you write online will become public.
- Use social media to engage with readers, but professionally.
- Break news on your website, not on social media.
- Beware of perceptions.
- Independently authenticate anything found on a social networking site.
- Always identify yourself as a journalist.
- Social networks are tools, not toys.
- Be transparent and admit when you’re wrong online.
- Keep internal deliberations confidential.
To appreciate how these ten best practices work at 18 major news organizations, click here to read more on Social Times.
