While I hesitate to define bloggers as journalists, I tell clients to keep the ethical principles of communication with mainstream media in mind. A rule of thumb – if it doesn’t pass the smell test when you replace the word “blogger” with the words, “newspaper reporter,” you probably shouldn’t do it.

We have to decide if social media needs its own ethical principles or if the basic right-and-wrong stuff of communication generally will suffice. I think there may be some issues that come up from time to time that are new, but frankly, most of the time we all just need to use common sense.

Kami – You nailed it. I didn’t sleep a wink on the night that we learned about this flub! You also make excellent points about “islands” vs. “monoliths.” This issue came from way out of left field.

Jason – Ahh, clients. Gotta love ‘em. That’s part of the job description, eh?

Corporations, though they may seem it, are not monoliths, but instead are a collection of islands. And often each island has its own culture and language. This is why it is so important for companies to have policies, then you can just point to the rulebook, fix any issues and move on without a civil war.