The Importance of Media Integrity

Back in the July 26th Blog entry I touched on the topic of Click-Bait and how it can damage the integrity of your Company's Website, Social Media Presence or Blog.  But just what is integrity and how can one concept risk the future of your company's presence in the Online world?

Merriam-Webster Describes the word as meaning the following

1: firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility
2: an unimpaired condition : soundness
3: the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness

and when it comes to Media and how Media reports on any topic, the most important of these above definitions is the first one, a "firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility"

Now the next thing to look at is why is a sense of incorruptibility important when getting across your Message in any Media related postings (Website, Blog, Facebook Etc.) that your company happens to make. Well to expand on this, lets look at a few situations where either upholding or ignoring your implied Integrity can result in the disillusion of the trust your company has spent long hours building with the Public.

Example 1: C-NET (A CBS Company) and Dish
Earlier this year, the annual CES (or Consumer Electronics Show) saw Tech review website C-Net over seeing the judging of products for the Best in Show Awards that are handed out each year.  Dish (Formerly Dish Network) had presented a new piece of technology called the Dish Hopper (a device that allows users to bypass Advertising in Television programming) and was Awarded with a Best in Show standing, except for one slight problem.  The technology which was showcased actually was front and center at the time in a lawsuit between Dish and C-Net's parent Company CBS.  CBS actually used their status as the owners of C-Net to force a revoking of the award due to the lawsuit.

The results of these actions actually saw Senior Editors at C-Net walk away, while the company lost their status with awarding the CES Event.  More can be read on the follow out of this at  The Verge

Example 2: Openmedia.ca
On july 16th of this year, Non-Profit agency Openmedia.ca posted up a soundbite from a Telus Mobility Vice President who, as part of a larger answer had said

"Canada really should be the most expensive country for Wireless"

The problem is, People actually caused some minor backlashed against OpenMedia.ca as there were people who felt that OpenMedia was going against the standards of fair reporting that helped them to build their readership and support base after One user posted the full statement with the quote in it's proper context.

This example can be looked at  on Facebook

The Most important thing to remember when composing content for your Social Presence, Blog or Website is that People want to believe in the integrity of what you post and if you lose that trust of your readers you lose your audience.