Getting informed consent is key to building the trusting relationships you need as a journalist - this guide shows you how to use those skills when you realise an off-the-record conversation would have value for a wider audience
A new guide, written by journalist and co-executive director of the US-based DEI Coalition Sisi Wei, walks you through how to navigate consent when you want to make a resource, based on a private conversation or community, public.
Wei outlines the dilemma many journalists will recognise: "Many times, it is only because a conversation was off the record, that we are able to learn the most — and after learning it, we realise that the broader community could benefit from learning it too. So how do we share knowledge from conversations we all agreed would be private, in a way that builds more trust instead of tearing it down?"
Her guide goes into detail for each of the steps you should take, including templates for your communication, with useful reminders on how to balance people's right to privacy with the right to get credit for their ideas, and how to explain why you want to make a private conversation public.
The guide is created as a google document, meaning you can make a copy to have your own checklists ready to go.
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