Blogging Policies

I'm asked often by firms about setting up company blogging policies. In general, my advice is to incorporate blogs into a consolidated "communications policy" for your firm.

You don't really need one policy for email, another for telephone conversations, another for articles, another for speaking at seminars, another for letters, another for memos, another for texting, you get the drift.

A single communications policy that represents the values of the firm, and still leaves ample room for the professionals you employ to exercise their judgment, is best. After all, if someone who works for you doesn't "get it" and they violate repeatedly, you have made a hiring mistake.

If you are looking for some good ideas for inclusion in your overall communications policy, and want to be sure to caputre some specifics that touch on social media, the DuPage Bar Association has formally  posted its own policy, developed by attorney and Chicago area blogger Mazyar M. Hedayat. Hat tip to Denise Howell for pointing to the list. I have modified it (brackets and elipses) for firm use below:

#1 know and follow [firm] guidelines for conduct, as well as the rules of good ... writing. no need to use Blue Book citations, but be accurate in your posts: others will look to them as a source of information and news, if not actual research.

#2 be mindful of what you write. remember that you have an audience.

#3 identify yourself and write in first person. make it clear that you are not necessarily speaking for the [firm] as a whole. be sure to disclose any information necessary to keep your statements from being misleading. use the following disclaimer on your [publications, blogs, etc]: unless indicated to the contrary, [my writings] do not reflect the views of the [firm or its owners or employees] and are the opinion of the writer

#4 respect copyright and fair use. do not plagiarize. give credit where due by citing [and linking] to the author of a statement or passage.

#5 do not reveal confidential information that could result in liability to yourself, your [practice group], other [firm] members, or the [firm] itself.

#6 do not comment on ... client matters by name except with the approval of those referred to in the post.

#7 do not use ethnic slurs, insults, or obscenity. Avoid writing about inflammatory topics solely to pique prurient interests.

#8 always try to add to a discussion constructively and ultimately to add value. do not let your ego get in the way. you are here for the good of the [firm] after all.

#9 have fun. [communicating/writing/speaking] can be loads of fun and a terrific way to share the best of your [firm, knowledge, practice group, etc] with the world.

Comments

[Shane Eloe]

Is this mainly addressing firm sponsored blogging? What about blogging outside the firm and its resources?

Since professional service firms hang on reputation, should the firm have some monitoring of what its staff put out for public consumption via blog or any other social media outlet (MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn etc). If the firm monitors, does it then seek to limit what is released for public consumption and what are the implications there?