Rochester Indymedia Editoral Policy

Discuss what the Rochester Indymedia's editoral policy should be <!--break--> <P>In wake of <a href="/news/2003/9/1027.php">the recent Bob Lonsberry fiasco</a>, the Rochester Indymedia collective decided at our last meeting to begin instituting an editoral policy on newswire posts an comments. </p><P> As an open publishing site, one of our major goals is to promote political dialogue and the free exhange of ideas. So far we have taken a laissez fair attitude towards comments and posts - letting virtually anything through. In some sense, it would be nice to continue this policy, but (as several of you emailed us about) the many of the comments in the Lonnsberry thread did not encourage dialogue, rather the racial slurs and personal attacks tended to drive people away from using the site for debate. We don't want to censor posts because we don't agree with their message, but at some point we have to draw a line. </p><P> So... We brainstormmed some ideas and agreed to put down guidelines at our meeting next week (of course I wan't taking notes so could someone who was post them). Please use this thread to tell us what guidelines you would want. And if you want, come to our next meeting to discuss this more. It's Tuesday 10/14, 7pm at the Rochester Contemporary building, 137 East Avenue (by Spot Coffee and Milestones).</p>

<p>Discuss what the Rochester Indymedia's editoral policy should be</p> <!--break--><p></p><p>In wake of <a href="/news/2003/9/1027.php">the recent Bob Lonsberry fiasco</a>, the Rochester Indymedia collective decided at our last meeting to begin instituting an editoral policy on newswire posts an comments. </p> <p></p><p><br /> As an open publishing site, one of our major goals is to promote political dialogue and the free exhange of ideas. So far we have taken a laissez fair attitude towards comments and posts - letting virtually anything through. In some sense, it would be nice to continue this policy, but (as several of you emailed us about) the many of the comments in the Lonnsberry thread did not encourage dialogue, rather the racial slurs and personal attacks tended to drive people away from using the site for debate. We don't want to censor posts because we don't agree with their message, but at some point we have to draw a line. </p> <p></p><p><br /> So... We brainstormmed some ideas and agreed to put down guidelines at our meeting next week (of course I wan't taking notes so could someone who was post them). Please use this thread to tell us what guidelines you would want. And if you want, come to our next meeting to discuss this more. It's Tuesday 10/14, 7pm at the Rochester Contemporary building, 137 East Avenue (by Spot Coffee and Milestones).</p>