We hear you. You’re angry. Here’s what we are doing about it.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/s...iowa-childrens-hospital-donations/3780741002/
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/s...iowa-childrens-hospital-donations/3780741002/
- We’re revising our policies and practices, including those that did not uncover our own reporter’s past inappropriate social media postings. That reporter is no longer with the Register.
- We’re examining all of our processes with fresh eyes. In response to this week’s conversations, we’re focused on:
- Our policies for backgrounding individuals in stories, with particular attention to acts committed by juveniles and to the newsworthiness of that information years later.
- The shift in social media culture and how activities on those platforms reflect upon a person’s newsworthiness in general.
- Our screening policy and social media vetting for employees.
- Employees of the Register are vetted through typical employment screening methods, which can include a review of past social media activity, but the screening processes did not surface those tweets. Register employees additionally must review and agree to a company-wide social media policy that includes a statement that employees "do not post comments that include discriminatory remarks, harassment, threats of violence or similar content." We also have policies that speak to our company values.
- We took appropriate action because there is nothing more important in journalism than having readers’ trust.
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