Blog on, but keep your day job safe
August 14, 2008 by Sam NarisiPosted in: Employee computer use, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Security and law
It wasn’t too long ago that a major TV news network fired one of its senior producers for blogging. A violation of free speech?
Hardly. Employees need to understand that what they do publicly can have a big impact on the business they work for.
The blogger in question was an Emmy-winning producer of CNN’s morning show, Chez Pazienza.
While recovering from surgery, Pazienza took to blogging, and his bosses at the network weren’t happy about his online prose.
Upshot? Pazienza got fired.
Seems the CNN employee handbook had expressly forbidden its staff from writing for a “non-CNN outlet.” His blog was one.
Do companies need blogging policies?
Make sure your employees know what the company rule is about blogging. If you don’t have a rule, you and your managers might want to consider drafting one.
To read more about Pazienza’s trials and tribulations, read this.
