For me, blogging ethics is all about treating other bloggers the way you desire to be treated. What do you think?

Here are some good practices for you “bloggers”.

Fairness

Being fair is subjective, but you should make every effort to extend the same respect to others that you wish for yourself.

This means you should be willing to listen to others’ viewpoints and allow criticism of your work. Be willing to listen to others and examine your motivations.

Transparency

Be honest and open with your readers about your biases and conflicts of interests. For example, if you write about an organization that has given you money, you should disclose this. Similarly, if you write regularly about political issues, you should make your beliefs known so your readers can be aware of possible biases.

This does not mean that you must share with readers every last detail about your life, but where there is a risk of bias or a conflict of interest you should disclose.

Independence

Be your own blogger. Write what you think needs to be written and what you honestly believe to be true rather than bowing to powerful interests with a stake in what you write.

Honesty

Only say what you know to be true. When you have reason to doubt the truth of a statement, say so. If you are speculating, make it clear that you are doing so. Additionally, say what you do not know when writing a story.

Link References

If possible, link to the material you reference, even if you disagree with it. This gives your readers the opportunity to make up their own minds, and bolsters your arguments by making your evidence easily accessible.

As a result to this rule, be sure always to present your evidence. If your references do not exist online, make clear your sources as best you can. Providing the evidence to back up your claims is not only honest, it will help you make stronger arguments.

Respect Sources

If you interview someone or receive information from someone to use in a post, respect the source’s wishes. Find out if you are allowed to credit the source of your information or how you are allowed to use the information you receive. Remember, in some cases, not respecting a source’s wishes could lead to the source losing his or her job or to arrest if the information is particularly sensitive.

Publicly Correct Mistakes

If you should find that something you asserted or a story to which you linked in a post is untrue, correct the misinformation quickly and publicly. This is usually best done by adding an update to the original post so mistake and correction are in one place.

Do Not Slander

Do not make false or malicious statements about others. If you disagree with another blogger or with a public personality, do not indulge in personal attacks or false statements. Try to make well-reasoned and fact-based arguments.

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