The revised CBC guidelines on social media are to be welcomed. They are based on the principles CBC applies to other forms of media, rather than a detailed list of do’s and don’ts. The guidelines acknowledge the importance of social media tools “for gathering information, as well as disseminating it.” But add that “when using social media as an information-gathering tool, we apply the same standards as those for any

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is hosting a one-day conference focusing traditional and new journalism values on Friday, April 30. At the heart of the “New Journalism, New Ethics?” conference is whether new forms of media require new standards. Or do established ethical principles still apply? I’m honoured to be part of the discussion, taking part in a session on social media ethics for journalists. The conference is hosted by the

The ombudsman for PBS, Michael Getler, has stepped into the controversy over a posting on PBS Mediashift by NYU journalism student Alana Taylor. In her post, Taylor talked about what she saw as the shortcomings at NYU over its approach to new media. The column provoked a stir at NYU and among journalistic circles online. It was followed up by a piece by Mediashift editor Mark Glaser on the controversy.

The new guidelines from the BBC on social media are now available online. There are two parts to this, the first dealing with how the BBC should approach social networking sites and the second on how the use by BBC staff of social networking sites. The guidelines on the use of social media by the BBC reflects concerns about protecting the brand. But they also recognises that the corporation should