Code of Ethics and Participation
version: July 2018
Five core values guide our work: accuracy, independence, collaboration, fairness and transparency. Inspired by the Poynter Institute Code of Ethics.
Accuracy. We do our best to make sure that our work is accurate and truthful.
Independence. We are a project governed by independent, 501(c)(3), nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations. We manage our conflicts of interest and strive to be free of influences that might interfere with research and work that is accurate, fair, transparent, professional and helpful.
Collaboration. In order to fulfill its mission, the Credibility Coalition must cultivate and nourish relationships throughout the broader research community around information disorder. These relationships make us smarter, more relevant and more capable of supporting democracy. We encourage these ties to entities and individuals, whom we rely on for advice about what is needed in the field. We embrace collaboration as a value because we believe these relationships encourage greater interactivity, responsiveness and utility.
Fairness. We strive to act justly, to respect people and their privacy, to present different points of view and to minimize harm. These guidelines serve as checks and balances on the perspectives and personal biases that each of us brings to our research.
Transparency. We shine a light on our own processes, explaining how and why we make decisions. We do our best to disclose relevant information that may have influenced or affected our decisions. (see Transparency statement)
version: June 2018
The Credibility Coalition participation aims to model/is inspired by Mozilla’s Community Participation Guidelines (this reflects the spirit of our work, which was born out of MisinfoCon, which received support from Mozilla). These guidelines cover our behavior as participants, facilitators, wranglers, staff, volunteers, vendors and anyone else involved in the Coalition. These guidelines aim to support a community where all people should feel safe to participate, introduce new ideas and inspire others, regardless of:
- Background
- Family status
- Gender
- Gender identity or expression
- Marital status
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
- Native language
- Age
- Disability
- Race and/or ethnicity
- National origin
- Socioeconomic status
- Religion
- Geographic location
- Weight
- Any other dimension of diversity
Because we believe that the best results come out of a collaborative space, the Credibility Coalition expects our members to treat one another along the following guidelines in support of our larger mission:
- Be respectful and value each other’s ideas, styles and viewpoints.
- Be direct but professional - we cannot withhold hard truths.
- Be inclusive and help new perspectives be heard; anticipate misunderstandings, which are part of a digital, multicultural space, and seek clarity - it may be the best that fresh ideas can arise from these moments.
- Appreciate and accommodate our many cultural practices, attitudes and beliefs.
- Be open to learning from others.
- Lead by example and match your actions with words.
The following are not tolerated in the Coalition:
- Violence and threats of violence
- Personal attacks
- Derogatory language
- Unwelcome sexual attention or physical contact
- Disruptive behavior
- Influencing unacceptable behavior
- Disclosing private information of other users without their consent
- Repeated postings for self-promotional purposes
- Intentional plagiarism and/or copying the verbiage of others
- Posting advertisements
- Repeated attempts to shift conversations from misinformation/fake news/disinformation to unrelated topics
This includes deliberately referring to someone by a gender that they do not identify with, and/or questioning the legitimacy of an individual’s gender identity. If you’re unsure if a word is derogatory, don’t use it. This also includes repeated subtle and/or indirect discrimination; when asked to stop, stop the behavior in question.
Any violation of these rules can lead to immediate temporary suspension pending review or permanent expulsion. Are you seeing behavior that doesn’t respect these guidelines? Please contact a project lead.
