Here was the original question:<p> <blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by jbm: Anyone here work at a paper that has a written "accuracy policy"? How does that work?<hr></blockquote><p>Have we gotten an answer yet, aside from guesses?<p>We seem to have assumed that "accuracy policy" refers to rules with which muckety-mucks declare war on underlings. Most if not all of us have seen that sort of thing happen, right?<p>But what if an "accuracy policy" consisted of guidelines made clear to all, in areas in which anyone needing training got it?<p>We can assume that anyone hired to work in newsrooms as lofty as ours knows to spell names accurately, to get facts right, to support leads, to attribute info, to avoid plagiarism, etc. But how often do we on copy desks see these concepts, on which everyone ought to agree, violated?<p>Anyone ever hear from a full-time, permanent, educated, experienced reporter that surely it must be OK to lift paragraphs and more from others' stories? And then management all but blow that off, depending on who's caught, when the person pleads ignorance?<p>Ever hear that it's not a reporter's or assigning editor's or artist's or photographer's job to be accurate, because that's what copy editors are for? "What, me spellcheck? Me check an almanac? Me talk with someone else? Not my responsibility."<p>Ignorance and pride should not be excuses. Rules, blind trust, ass-kissing and ass-covering should not replace training, responsibility and common sense.<p>If management doesn't want plagiarism, make sure that a policy is known to all and make sure everyone knows what plagiarism is. <p>If management wants attribution, then say so. Make it clear when exceptions are allowed, and the process for getting approval before the copy desk needs to get involved.<p>If management wants accuracy, then say so. Tell everyone from the reporters, artists and photographers to their editors to copy editors and designers that all are responsible for their work. We shouldn't tell reporters to write in fill-in-the-blanks mode, but we can make it a rule that they spellcheck, for example.<p>We can assume that everyone in a newsroom knows how to do the job and is willing to do it, but we'd be wrong. That's as unrealistic as assuming we understand a paper's "accuracy policy" without knowing anything about it.<p>Rules are made to be broken, or not even created, because they can do more harm than good.<p>But reasonable guidelines, with fair and intelligent supervision and training for all, will improve any publication. More should try them.<p>[ September 04, 2003: Message edited by: Wayne Countryman ]</p>
|