Saturday, March 03, 2007

OMW Policy Statement

While we're working on other items, and for the record...

OMW has an official policy regarding our oft-threatened-to-be-canned comments section, which was thisclose to being closed today. (OK, so maybe we were a bit miffed that we had to take time out of our personal, non-media related activities today to take care of this.)

Comments unearthing private information not intended for public consumption, in an attempt to attack someone, will be deleted.

This includes, but is not limited to, the reproduction of E-Mail, private blogs, MySpace sites and the like, particularly if the site is not intended as a part of the radio or TV personality or employee's public online presence.

For example, the blogs on a radio station's site - fair game. They're public, and meant to be seen by listeners.

A blog which is linked on the employer's site and meant for the public - fair game.

A personal site, private or otherwise, not connected with the personality's public work - posting the link and/or any information from the site - instant deletion.

A strong word of advice that a number of people have taken to heart...if you write it on the Internet, even if you think "only your friends" are reading it, even if you have your section set to "private", even if you think no one outside your circle knows about it, can be copied and posted here by people reading our comments section.

That doesn't mean that we have to allow it, of course...thus, this policy.

Today marked the third time in the site's recent history where the policy was violated (connected with three different people), and that particular comment was deleted shortly after we were notified.

Your Primary Editorial Voice(tm) is sent comments via E-Mail as soon as they are posted, and any objectionable comment usually doesn't stay up long.

As long as we do have a comments section, fair, tough, even brutal criticism of radio and TV stations and personalities, and their professional performance, is welcome. Personal criticism, and anything that goes over the above "line" is not welcome.

Thank you.

--The Management