CBS News gets a blogging policy

Over the past year, I’ve talked a lot about blogging policies at news organizations. The short version: You need one. I wrote an article for the latest issue of “Keeping Free Presses Free,” a publication of College Media Advisers, Inc., about this very issue.

So it’s a confirmation of sorts to see that CBS now has a policy on personal weblogs:

One new development is that all personal blogs written by CBS News employees must be approved by either Linda Mason, CBS News Senior Vice President, Standards and Special Projects, or Sean McManus, the President of CBS News. “We can’t have people having personal blogs venting their opinions,” Mason explained.

There’s no more detail than that available right now, but here is an age-old ethical conundrum for journalists: how do you balance the rights of personal free expression with the ethical ideal of objectivity?

I have yet to see a well-written blogging policy for a college news organization. If you have one, send me a copy. As soon as I find one, I’ll let you all know.

via Cyberjournalist

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