June 10, 2009
With Friends Like These...
AP Reporter Reprimanded
Our sister local union at the Associated Press, the News Media Guild, has demanded clarification of AP ethics guidelines following a reprimand from management to a Guild member over a comment on his Facebook page.
The NMG is also urging their members to take care when adding Facebook "friends," especially when receiving friend requests from managers.
Richard Richtmyer, a Philadelphia-based reporter, set off the tempest with a comment criticizing the executive management of newspaper publisher McClatchy, whose stock plummeted following a 2006 acquisition of San Jose-based Knight Ridder.
Coincidentally, IAPE and Dow Jones recently concluded discussions about the DJ Code of Conduct and specific policies covering newsroom employees, and have agreed to certain changes to both documents.
The Newsroom Policies document is the latest revision of a Dow Jones statement first issued in 1996 by Paul Steiger, the managing-editor of The Wall Street Journal at the time, and now includes guidance on internet activities, including material posted on personal blogs and social media websites.
During our negotiations with the company, Dow Jones stressed its desire for "common sense" guidelines where online activities are concerned. The guidelines are posted on the IAPE website right here.