About South of the James: 2004-2007
South of the James was an online journal that offered news, commentary, and analysis on culture, media & politics in Chesterfield County, Metro Richmond, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the world beyond from a decidedly different perspective. Part of the growing wave of “citizen journalism,” it was edited and published by nonprofit executive & writer Conaway B. Haskins III and occasionally featured the work of over a dozen guest contributors. In January 2007, Conaway accepted a position with newly-elected US Senator Jim Webb (D-VA), and he happily and voluntarily shut down the South of the James project.
As an active participant in discussions about blogging versus journalism, South of the James generally attempted to abide by four basic ethical tenets:
1. Acknowledge the facts,
2. Disclose relevant biases and/or conflicts-of-interest,
3. Do not engage in baseless personal attacks, and
4. Be consistent with anonymity or the usage of pseudonyms.
To the maximum extent possible, this blog adhered to the code of standards promulgated by the Media Bloggers Association:
Honesty, fairness and accuracy: State what you know and how you know it. Use links to supporting documents on the web wherever possible; credit sources and link to other bloggers. Distinguish fact from rumor and speculation. Be intellectually honest when expressing opinion. Don’t plagiarize or pass off others’ work as your own. Act responsibly and with personal integrity.
Transparency: Clearly disclose conflicts of interest including personal relationships, financial considerations or anything else that might influence or appear to influence your independence and integrity. If you accept payments from advertisers or sponsors, clearly demarcate advertorial from editorial content.
Accountability and trust: Use your own name and offer a means for readers to communicate with you. Engage your readers and trust them to form their own judgments and conclusions. Correct your mistakes promptly using strikethroughs or editor’s notes.
Respect for the privacy of private citizens: Private individuals may not want photographs, videos or information about them made available to a global audience, even if they’re in a public space. Use your judgment, and use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects.
Guest Contributors:
Damon Banks: Yale University
Webster Brooks III: Low Country & Chesapeake Society
Josh Chernila: RaisingKaine.com
Benin Dakar: Hands on Atlanta
Marleen Durfee: Responsible Growth Alliance of Chesterfield
Stella Edwards: Virginia PTA
Rev. Joseph Evans: Mt. Carmel Baptist Church – Washington DC
Dan Gecker: Chesterfield County Planning Commission
Rev. Mike Harton: Responsible Growth Alliance of Chesterfield
Krysta Jones: Virginia Leadership Institute
Erika Jones-Haskins: Get Out There, Richmond!
Larry Miller: Chesterfield County Republican Committee
Wayne Ozmore: Republican Party of Virginia
Dr. Tom Pakurar: Hands Across the Lake
Shelly Schuetz: Go West Chesterfield
Don Scoggins: Frederick Douglass Republican Forum
Wendell Talley: National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise
Dr. Toni-Michelle Travis: George Mason University
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