The recent disbanding of Facebook and Instagram’s third-party fact-checking program has raised fears about the kind of news and information that will shape public discourse. Whatever facts or non-facts get pushed out, it is up to us, citizens who are news producers and consumers through our social media apps, to be the change. The Social and Digital Media Ethics Code and Pledge, an initiative by Sapan News, is a step in this direction - Newspaper Headline collage by Regina Johnson
On Social Media Ethics and Responsibility
By Beena Sarwar
Boston, MA
Mark Zuckerberg's Meta disbanding of Facebook and Instagram’s third-party fact-checking program , following the lead of Elon Musk's X, formerly Twitter, may well lead to strengthening a public narrative that further undermines values of humanity, inclusivity, and democracy.
This makes it all the more important for those of us who strive to uphold these principles and who value facts over opinion, to buckle down and do what we can to "hold the line," to use the words of Filipina journalist Maria Ressa.
That is why we at Sapan News last year initiated a Social and Digital Media Ethics and Responsibility Pledge, which provides guidelines with resources to help social media and digital media users enhance their credibility. Endorse here
Para-journalists?
Non-journalists who use social media to produce and share information and bear witness are sometimes called ‘citizen journalists.' They may also be viewed as ‘para-journalists’ but without the training that paramedics, paralegals or paramilitary personnel receive.
“Everyone should think like a journalist,” said one of my students during a discussion on ethics and responsibility at my journalism class at Emerson College in 2018. It was this comment that sparked this Ethics Pledge initiative.
What does it mean, to " think like a journalist"? In brief, it means to be factual, provide context, and process feelings before posting, sharing, or forwarding any information.
In today's digital world, anyone with a smartphone is potentially a news producer, but often without any training on journalistic ethics and unbiased reporting.
Content that triggers strong emotions can have a significant impact. Unverified, provocative materials can contribute to the spread of misinformation and lead to violence, even loss of lives. Especially in situations where algorithms push certain content to users, obliterating nuance and encouraging extremes.
We are all in this together. We at Sapan News commit to being the change we wish to see. This is a pledge to hold ourselves accountable. Here is the Code of Ethics / Best Practices for Social Media Users, to which many journalists, editors, and non-journalists have contributed:
The Pledge
- I will pause and process my emotions before posting or sharing anything that triggers anxiety, fear, outrage, pain, or guilt.
- I will strive to distinguish fact from opinion, to give the benefit of doubt, and avoid sensationalism, and to present information in a fair, accurate, and unbiased manner.
- I will not forward any post or comment including in WhatsApp, email, or any groups without conducting due diligence; use fact-checking resources and tools to verify information before sharing and strive to share information with context, going beyond binaries, knowing that there may be multiple perspectives on complex issues.
If faced with breaking news where delay due to thorough fact-checking might potentially lead to irreversible damage (for example, news of a fire breaking out), I will clearly mention the source and clarify that no fact-checking has been done.
Search engines and Wikipedia are not considered primary sources but may be used as a first step to find credible sources. For more resources, see below]
4. I will promptly and publicly correct any mistakes I make in sharing information.
5. I will make every effort to respect and protect the privacy of others. I will not forward comments from groups or personal information without consent, adhering to widely accepted principles and best practices for privacy protection.
6. I will fact-check any AI-generated content I use and will clearly label any post that I generate using deepfake technology, generative AI, or Photoshop.
7. I will focus on issues and refrain from personal attacks, labelling, name-calling, or ‘what-aboutery’, and will engage in respectful and civil dialogue.
Anyone wishing to endorse the pledge may do so at the online form at this link . All names will be listed publicly unless otherwise specified.
There is no penalty, policing, or monitoring of how users are implementing this pledge. The hope is that users will review and engage in regular self-assessments to ensure adherence to the principles outlined in the Pledge.
Resources
A basic journalistic rule of course is to confirm information from at least two diverse, credible sources before sharing. Here are some more resources for aspiring journalists, citizen journalists, social media users – and revision for experienced journalists:
- The CRAAP test - Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose
- SIFT the four moves : Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, and Trace claims, quotes, and media to the original context
- Society of Professional Journalists Fact Checking
- Jim Lehrer's rules of journalism , PBS, January 2020
Those who have contributed to the Social Media Code of Ethics and Responsibility Pledge include Iman Mukherjee, an IT engineer who kickstarted the process after a writing workshop I conducted at the Dishari Public Library , Milpitas, CA, June 2024. Subsequent commentators and reviewers include: Sree Srinivasan, digital trainer, New York; Natasha Raheel Khan, journalist, Karachi; Rachel Layne, journalist and journalism professor, Emerson College, Boston; Khushi Kabir, activist, Dhaka; Katherine Abraham, journalist, Pune; Vidya Kakra, human rights lawyer, New York/Delhi; Dr Mantra Roy, librarian, San Jose; Michael Fitzgerald, journalist, Nieman 2011, Boston; Jim Karb, teacher, New York; Asadullah Khan, journalist, Islamabad; Regina Johnson, journalist, Virginia; Nadeem Iqbal, journalist, Islamabad; Shahidul Alam, photojournalist, Dhaka; Vishal Sharma, lawyer, Shimla/Cardiff; Leslie Davis and Greg White, Chicago; Kathleen McCleery, former deputy executive producer, PBS News Hour, New Mexico.
We don’t have any illusions that our efforts will change the world but the ocean is made up of many drops of water, and the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Let this be a step in the right direction.
(Beena Sarwar is a journalist, activist, filmmaker and journalism teacher from Pakistan based in Cambridge MA, and the founder editor of Sapan News)
Sapan News
HYPERLINKS
disbanding of Facebook and Instagram’s third-party fact-checking program - https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/07/meta-facebook-instagram-threads-mark-zuckerberg-remove-fact-checkers-recommend-political-content
The CRAAP test - https://tinyurl.com/ucCRAAPtst
SIFT the four moves - https://tinyurl.com/SIFT4moves
Society of Professional Journalists Fact Checking - https://tinyurl.com/JRNfctchk
Jim Lehrer's rules of journalism - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/politics/jim-lehrer-in-his-own-words
Dishari Public Library - https://library.disharifoundation.org/
