Read This If You Use Social Media; Everyone Should Know Our Thinking

(Editor's note on July 27, 2017: Click here to go to an updated special section about the do's and don't's of social media.)

The presidential campaign, particularly the debates, and breaking news events such as this week's mass shooting in Oregon draw many of us to social media. We want to monitor the news, post our reporting, share the interesting information we find and offer our thoughts.

That's great. Have fun out there.

But ... (there's always a "but") ... all of us — journalists as well as those in other departments — need to remember that what we post and retweet can reflect on NPR. None of us want NPR's reputation for fairness to be put in doubt because of things we do on digital platforms.

We've issued guidance on this before. Everyone is expected to be familiar with our thinking. Please reread:

– The "Social Media" section of the handbook. The introduction specifically mentions NPR's journalists, but the principles apply to others here as well. If you're in doubt, talk to your supervisor:

"The Internet and the social media communities it encompasses can be incredible resources. They offer both a remarkably robust amount of historical material and an incredible amount of 'real-time' reporting from people at the scenes of breaking news events. But they also present new and unfamiliar challenges, and they tend to amplify the effects of any ethical misjudgments you might make. So tread carefully. Conduct yourself online just as you would in any other public circumstances as an NPR journalist. Treat those you encounter online with fairness, honesty and respect, just as you would offline. Verify information before passing it along. Be honest about your intent when reporting. Avoid actions that might discredit your professional impartiality. And always remember, you represent NPR."

– "Some Guidance About Social Media On Election Day." You could substitute the words "Debate Night" for "Election Day."

– "Reminder: There Is No Privacy On The Web, And 'Personal' Pages Are Not Safe Zones." Here's a key paragraph:

"Matt Thompson offers a test. Before posting something about your work or a news event or an issue, even if you're putting it on what you think of as a personal page, ask this question: 'Is it helping my journalism, or is it hurting my journalism?' "