The guideline document issued to some CBC News staff last week (surrounding the approval of employees’ personal blogs) was “an early draft of proposed policies,” says the acting head of CBC News.
Esther Enkin, acting Editor in Chief, has sent InsideCBC.com this clarification about the document which generated heated discussion on this blog:
On Friday when the blog-guideline issue arose on the corporate blog, I tried to give your readers a fuller picture of the intent and origins of the guidelines. Here’s some further clarification. The document you refer to and was distributed to some staff is an early draft of proposed policies. Senior management had asked that they be revised last April, and they will be reviewed again. When questions arose about how to deal with blogging, the document was inadvertently passed on.
However, there do exist HR, journalistic or other corporate policies that are relevant to blogging and these remain in effect. There are currently no specific corporate policies in effect relating directly to blogging. Editorial leadership will continue to provide guidance as needed in particular circumstances.
In addition to existing policies and the ad hoc advice of managers, we may yet try to provide some additional policy about the do’s and don’t’s of blogging in the coming months. Some of the dialogue that followed your initial posting may well be useful background in that context. In the meantime, if employees have questions, they should ask and we’ll give direction.
We’ll ensure that you receive any new official policy on blogging that is developed as soon as it comes into effect. Don’t hesitate to give me a call or flip me an email if you want to verify any new angle.
Best regards,
Esther Enkin
Acting Editor-in-Chief
This helps clarify things.
Staff who emailed InsideCBC.com and other media noted that the document sent to them by their supervisor did not indicate the document was a draft or a proposed policy. To the contrary, it sounded like the guidelines had actually been in place for some time, and blogging approval was now required:
Attached are personal blogging guidelines the Editor in Chief’s office distributed a while back.
I hadn’t seen these until this week, so I don’t know whether these got distributed to our staff and am passing them on to make sure, as a few people have had questions recently.
Note that they are not a change in policy - they are simply intended to clarify how our journalistic policies and code of conduct apply to personal blogging, so that there is no confusion.
If someone on your staff requests approval and you feel it is warranted, then please bring to the attention of either [name redacted] or myself to discuss and/or sign off on it officially.
All things in context, I think this will prove to be a good first step toward having this discussion out in the public — after all, that’s where bloggers are.
CBC employee and personal blogger Paul Gorbould noted this past weekend in his blog:
I really, really resent the way this document came about. To wit: it was crafted behind closed doors, in secret, without any consultation with the people who know and care most about it, without any heed to industry best practices, without any transparency or public input.
That’s a pre-lockout mindset, and it coughed up a Web 1.0 policy that makes everyone look foolish. And that, in my opinion, is more damaging than anything any CBC blogger has ever said or done.
As for today, I suspect some executives at CBC News are now making Tod Maffin Voodoo Dolls. Why do I feel a sharp pain in my back? 
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I suppose there could be some money made on the Tod Maffin voodoo dolls. Of course, all profits should be forwarded to him.
I’m very happy to hear that this document was a draft. As I’ve said elsewhere, a lot of it makes sense, and with some fine tuning it’ll be OK. I do hope they note the concerns expressed this week, and take them into account.
And I know there are bloggers here who would be happy to give their input, if asked.
(Thanks for the links, Tod… I think….ouch!)
Esther Enkin rules!
So why wasn’t it a draft in her first “clarification”? Back then it was a guideline, with the subtext that it was awaiting Board approval to hatch into fully-fledged policy.
You would think that a professional media organization would be better at handling the media. They really botched this one.
I’m glad Paul thinks a lot of it makes sense; I don’t. As Esther points out, we already have H.R., journalistic or other corporate policies that are relevant to blogging. The only credible parts of this “draft” are basically rehashes of that material.
However, the problems begin with the nonsense where non-journalists are obliged to adhere to journalistic policies, and where bloggers are to refrain from identifying themselves as CBC employees, criticize the Corp and/or align themselves with controversial causes that may cast a negative light on the organization. Oh, and getting permission to blog from my supervisor.
Unless I’m now considered–and paid as–a journalist the other 16 hours a day outside my regular job (does that mean I can be the next Carole MacNeil?), I say with all due respect, “Bugger off.”
Why? Because this Corpse always works to cover up their mistakes after the fact. Pre or Post lockout - doesn’t matter - it’s always management thinking the rest of us are idiots and they have to control every little thing we do, no matter what that might be…
In what exact way does “[t]his help clarify things”? It’s a rationalization after the fact, Tod, and your attitude of “Phew! I’m glad this issue has been permanently settled!” adds fuel to the fire that you are not the right person to write an embedded yet “independent” CBC blog. And you’ll probably overreact to my saying that (more fuel).
Come September 1, anyone may request the document trail that led to this point. Someone do that, please, and publish it.
Hi Esther,
I disagree with this — “We’ll ensure that you receive any new official policy on blogging that is developed as soon as it comes into effect.”
What is needed are drafts of the blog guidelines being developed along side with the feedback from CBC employees *and* the general community. CBC employees’ feedback are obvious as the guideline affect them. And seeing a “developed” version is just not the web 2.0/community-involved way to develop *anything* that involves a community of people.
You also want the general community (including myself) to be involved because you want their wisdom and insights to help create the guideline. Plus people not working for CBC can be blunt and direct as we don’t have to worry about our jobs being jeopardized.
In some sense, senior executives like yourself are custodians of CBC. CBC management (like politicians in Ottawa) come and go, but Canadians have only one CBC to love (or hate). And to me, a blogging policy sets the tone and flow of creativity within CBC, it is too important a thing to be messed up in the beginning of the web 2.0 age (or the “community age”).
Best Regards,
Kempton
P.S. Tod, I think you are safe. You are too obvious a target that I doubt any bad stuff can or will ever happen to you. A lot of phone calls will be made if something bad happen because of the things you blog about. (smile)
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Lots of people work at the CBC, and their behaviour is governed by the rules of their employment.
And almost all are members of some union or other, each of which also has lots of rules for their members.
Does the Canadian Media Guild have a policy about blogging?
Or are they waiting for the CBC to figure it out for them?
Seems like all these union members want to pretend that it’s got nothing to do with their rights within the unions, and just want to sit in the audience to snipe at the CBC, without providing any leadership themselves.
They just want the right to complain about their bosses, without taking any responsibility.
Isn’t it about time they came out with some guidance for their members instead of just counting union dues?
[...] It’s true that the CBC has some excellent official blogs — and great online stuff in general. Let’s hope that this “discussion draft” gets “discussed” into a deep pit, and something more reasonable is proffered in its place. Link [...]
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PLEASE, DON’T DRINK AND BLOG
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