Keep It Clean, Fellas

From an internal memo from Len Downie and Jim Brady:

Re: Live Online Standards
(from Brady and Downie)

There have been a few cases in recent months where Post or post.com staffers have used questionable language in live discussions on
washingtonpost.com, so we wanted to remind everyone of a few key rules and policies for Live Online.

– Interaction with readers is essential to the success of Live Online. D isagreeing — even strongly — with the premise of a reader’s question is part of that dialogue, but we should not use profanity or call readers names in our responses.

– In the interest of transparency, when hosts do use inappropriate language, washingtonpost.com will not alter the language used in the transcript. The reason is that a Live Online is akin to appearing on a live broadcast, and we believe an answer given in a live format should remain as is. Additionally, attempts to edit out or clean up language in a Live Online transcript often results in critics accusing washingtonpost.com of trying to whitewash history.

Live Online has become a true franchise for washingtonpost.com. No other news site on the Web produces as many live discussions, and many of the site’s most loyal readers are Live Online fans. That success is because of the many hosts that have built loyal followings and the great team of producers at washingtonpost.com. This is merely a reminder to try and keep the tone civil.

Thanks,
Len and Jim

So who are they referring to?

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