NLA Discussion: Public Forum

[John Comings]

Doesn't journalistic ethics demand that a document that has not been 
made public and is marked "draft" should not be quoted?  How do we 
keep drafts safe and still share them with our colleagues so that we 
can get input from the field at every stage of our research.  I ask 
RLP to agree to refrain from publication of drafts and wait until we 
are ready to make a statement.  Otherwise, NCSALL can not engage in a 
free and open discourse with the field because we must submit 
documents to OERI before they are made public. If talking about 
findings on the  NLA listserv is a public forum, we'll stop using it 
and open a closed research forum, which the NLA list members had 
asked us not to do.  But, if we put out a document that says "draft" 
it is not in the public domain.
On Fri, 10 Oct 1997 09:18:44 -0700 bpihuman <bpihuman at bpinews.com> 
wrote:

> 
> This is a response to David Rosen's Oct. 2 request for 
> suggestions on listserv policy regarding quotations by reporters.
> 
> 	David, I am very gratified by your reaffirmation of the policy 
> allowing journalists to participate in the discussion and quote from it, 
> but I am concerned by the suggestion that researchers should be able to 
> discuss preliminary findings on the listserv "without having to worry ... 
> that the findings will have to stand up to public scrutiny before they 
> are ready to present [their final reports]."
> 
> 	If researchers want to shield their preliminary findings from 
> public scrutiny, they would be well advised not to post them on an open 
> listserv.  There are far better ways to share information with 
> colleagues confidentially, including closed listservs.
> 
> 	But let's assume for a moment that this listserv does decide to 
> give researchers the right to shield their preliminary findings.  How 
> could they exercise that right except by censoring news accounts about 
> those findings -- findings they have already posted on an open listserv? 
>  I'm sure you see the ethical conflict here.
> 
> 	I would never dream of writing a story about a controversial or 
> sensitive posting without contacting the author for confirmation, 
> clarification and elaboration.  Journalistic ethics demand that.  Those 
> same ethics demand that I resist censorship, and I hope you will not 
> start down the slippery slope toward it.
> 
> Dave Speights, editor
> Report on Literacy Programs
> 951 Pershing Drive
> Silver Spring, MD 20910
> (301) 587-6300
> <bpihuman at bpinews.com>
> 

----------------------
John Comings
john_comings at harvard.edu