Ethics and Credibility

Nelson Hernandez, a reporter for The Washington Post, posted a message on the online discussion board of a competing daily, The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, Va., asking readers who knew the suspects or victims of a murdered couple to call him with tips or sources "to build a complete picture." Free Lance-Star Web Editor Chris Muldrow posted a reply on the board calling it "unprofessional," but Hernandez told E&P, "anything on the Internet is open." Nothing he did was unethical. Some might consider it unsportsmanlike, though others might simply call him enterprising. Read his post and the response here.

One of the few public newspaper policies with online-specific components. They include: Use of Internet sources • Verify all facts reported from an online site unless you are confident of its source. For instance, the official Pulitzer Prize Web site can be regarded as a reliable source for names of past winners; a trade association site may not be. • If using a source via Internet or e-mail, verify the source by phone or in person. Make certain a communication is genuine before using it. • Generally, credit photos and graphics downloaded from the Internet. Usually, generic mug shots and icons do not need credits. Researching the Internet • Internet-derived information should be attributed, just as we would information from any book, magazine or other publication. O...