The document discusses guidelines and procedures for a staff manual for a publication. It defines ethical guidelines as suggestive in nature to handle controversial events, while procedures are processes that if not followed could result in punitive actions. The document then lists topics for student groups to create either a guideline or procedure on, such as treatment of sources, recording interviews, verification, and social media use. Students are instructed to research the topics, write the guidelines or procedures, and turn them in for a grade.

1. Manuals:
Ethical guidelines,
procedures
Law and Ethics Module

2. The goal of today:
We will review the difference of a guideline and
a procedure.
We will create several guidelines and
procedures for a staff manual.

3. What is the difference between
guidelines and procedures?
Ethical guidelines:
Suggestive in nature. For example, how should
you cover a controversial event?
If you don’t follow the ethical guideline, some
damage could come to the publication, but no
one should be punished. These are
suggestions and not rules.

4. What is the difference between
guidelines and procedures?
Procedure:
Process in nature. For example, how does
someone check out a camera, interview a
source, etc. A punitive action may result from
someone not following a procedure. (If you eat
food next to a computer, you will not be allowed
to have food in the room.) However, these
should not be set by administrators.

5. Divide and conquer:
Each group should create a guideline and
procedure on the assigned topic from list on the
next slide.

6. Topics
● Treatment of sources
● Recording sources during
interviews
● Allowing sources to preview
content before publication
● Emailing and texting digital
information gathering
● Verification
● Unnamed sources
● Treatment of minors
● Public records and meetings
● Handling links
● Providing context
● Advertising
● Social media
● Sponsored content
● Use of profanity
● Obituaries
● Visual reporting
● Guidelines for breaking news
● Evaluating and critiquing
content
● Correcting errors
● Takedown requests
● Handling letters to the editor,
online comments

7. How to do this (review):
1. Read the handout your teacher has given
you.
2. Figure out if you need an ethical guideline or
procedure on this topic. Remember, you
may need both.
3. Access the resources. Look through these
and create your procedure or guideline.
4. Reread and polish as needed.
5. Turn in your final drafts by the end of the
class period. You will get a grade for this.