Editorial Policy

This is a statement of the current position in what, as an online service reacting to the relative immaturity, fluidity and flexibility of the medium, will be a constantly evolving policy.

Content
In terms of the nature of our content, it is often openly ‘editorialised’ – that is our style and our conscious policy. It is the direction in which news services are developing, enabled by the impact of online digital media and by the direct communications this makes possible. From the outset, For Argyll has been a leading exponent of this development. Earlier this year we we were rated by Technorati as the 8,000th best site in the world using blogging technology.

In the context of an online service where news is largely new, as opposed to recently historical – and with an open and universal comment facility, this form of communication energises its audiences to the benefit of an informed and engaged society. We are proud of what we have achieved in this.

We only sit on the fence when there is nowhere else to go. Our general policy is to back the case with the greatest merit, noting any significant contra-indications but not attempting to construct an artificial ‘balance’.

In our view, this traditional practice has led to journalism at all levels which often dangerously equates the trivial with the serious and shrouds strength of argument with threadbare banalities.

We work to be objective but not detached, to be distant but engaged. We do – and will – fail but we feel that these are honourable ends.

Copy Accreditation
It is our policy to identify by name only those individual editors responsible for material on specific specialist topics.

We do not otherwise – as a general rule – name those contributing to general output from the newsroom.

As we develop and our team grows, enabling a greater division of areas of responsibility, this policy may change to some degree.

In terms of the spectrum of accreditation and responsibility, Lynda Henderson leads the newsroom and while others contribute to its output, nothing is published from the newsroom that has not either been written or approved by her. She is therefore happy to be the focus for whatever comment on content any of our audience feels appropriate at any time.

Photographic accreditation
Photographers are a much abused species, whose work is often anonymised in the media.

Except in the rare cases where the author of a copyright free image is unknown, we credit the authors of photographs we use and we note the copyright arrangements.

We do not – we cannot – pay for photographs.

Moderation of comments submitted
As a general rule, we publish comments submitted verbatim and in full.

Since the ForArgyll service began, we have trashed only four non-spam comments; and removed a sentence from a further two. The reasons for these decisions may offer useful guidelines to our moderating principles:

• Racism – and we include in that term abusiveness per se to ‘incomers’. This is unusual and has occurred only twice in our experience.
• Libel – we occasionally have to find a line between free speech, some of which can be offensive and libel. We have only had to block one submitted comment on this ground.
• Smearing – we block all attempts at the smearing which is usually a politically motivated activity and focused on a public figure’s private life. We have only once blocked such a comment – whose author may not have been fully conscious of what the comment was doing.
• Personal abuse – while public figures, within limits, have to take what they get – as we do ourselves – private individuals do not. In such cases we remove from comments offending material in which the target individual might be identifiable, rather than block the entire comment. We have had to do this only twice.
• Introduction of inappropriate material – we spam comments whose purpose is to infiltrate inappropriate material, which, for example, may be pornographic or commercial. This is a daily chore and we have spammed innumerable comments of this kind – tending mainly to be seeking commercial gain.

Response to comments
In the beginning we did not respond to user comments on the principle that, since we often editorialise copy, we have already had our say and that the Comment facility is largely for site visitors. However, we occasionally provide clarification and additional information; ask for information from a specialist contributor; or note particularly interesting comments. As our audience has become significantly engaged and contributes material often of real worth in expertise, information and ideas, we have wanted to participate in some exchanges and have done

Protection of Anonymity
If someone commenting wishes to remain anonymous we will respect that person’s wish and not reveal their identity in any circumstances, other than those that may be prescribed by Scottish Law.

Growing the ForArgyll journalistic team

The content we want to cover is so great that we are often driven underground by the weight of it and fail to deal with all of it – evidence, if you need it, that activity in Argyll is widespread and significant.

Our audience is significant and growing, numerically and in authority. In November 2010 we attracted 108,000 unique visitors in that month.

We are interested in growing our journalistic team and are working to develop a method of payment to contributors. The finalisation and implementation of this is constrained only by the difficulty of finding development time alongside the 24/7 pressure of working to run on a shoestring the best service of this kind that we can create for Argyll.

Our plans for the future are innovative and our chosen medium allows the development of new directions almost at once. We delight in this responsive ability to change and in the growth it brings.

We will be delighted to hear from and consider people – preferably in Argyll – who feel they have what it takes to join our team. Read on. This work is not going to make anyone a single living but it offers massive job satisfaction in its visceral and textured involvement with the development of Argyll, its communities and their initiatives. And it is demanding.