Identifying social media issues, ethics heroes are among new programs in works

ASBPE’s ethics committee is expanding its activities under the leadership of editorial consultant Howard Rauch, the Society’s 2002 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and newly appointed chairperson. The size of the committee itself has been expanded as well.

Rauch takes over from past president Roy Harris, who oversaw the development of the Society’s industry-leading Guide To Preferred Editorial Practices.

Before Rauch began his B2B consulting career 20 years ago, he was vice president/editorial director of Gralla Publications.

To assist all B2B publishers and editors in resolving ethical matters, here are some projects the committee plans to activate in coming months:

• A series of how-to-blog postings, viewable on ASBPE’s Web site and in its
  Editor’s Notes member newsletter, focusing on how to effectively maintain ethical standards in a tough cost-controlled environment.
• Identification of “ethics heroes,” top management teams determined to
  champion editorial quality in the face of mounting advertiser pressures.
• A report on social media’s ethical nuances that may arise while using such
  platforms for information-gathering. This project already is under way.
• An ethics I.Q. test — a series of multiple-choice, true-false scenarios
  examining where editors and/or publishers go astray.
• A church-and-state white paper addressing the pros and cons of adhering
  to long-held principles.
• Legal and complaint-handling snafu advisories issued periodically.
• Encouraging B2Bmembers to establish their own complaint-handling
  and ethical practice guidelines.
• A regularly updated information clearinghouse of ethics dilemmas with
  B2B implications.
• Continuation of our confidential advisory service for members who seek
  guidance about a specific ethics problem they face at their organizations.

Read about Rauch’s vision for the committee in this blog post.