ICSC Releases Internet Content Syndication Guidelines for Industry Review
New York City - Aug. 13, 2010 - The Internet Content Syndication Council’s (ICSC) content quality initiative entered a new phase on August 10th with the submission of a draft of proposed content quality guidelines to the industry for review.
Responding to an ICSC call to action to safeguard the quality of the online experience, the guidelines were developed after a July workshop which included major syndication companies.
In their draft form, the guidelines present a set of voluntary procedures for syndicators to follow in creating or publishing informational and factual content. They are not intended to apply to content which is opinion or entertainment.
Four guiding principles have been submitted for review, dealing with the following:
1. Accuracy – calls for editorial oversight for all contributors, including fact-checking and vetting by qualified reviewers. Also calls for proper acknowledgement and citation of the information source.
2. Timeliness – calls for clear indication of date and time of publication for all time-sensitive materials.
3. Corrections – calls for balancing the need for speed on the Internet with timely corrections as soon as they are reported.
4. Credentials – recommends that content clearly display the credentials of the sources used, so as to enable users to determine the credibility of the information provided.
"We are pleased that so many of our members recognize the value of opening a discussion on content quality," said Andrew Susman, chairman of the ICSC and president of Studio One Networks. "It’s a critically important topic, but we needed to come at it in a way that avoided subjective judgments of quality. That’s why we decided to focus on procedures companies can use in creating or publishing content, rather than attempting to evaluate the content itself. We think that if companies follow these guidelines in good faith, the result will be an improvement in content quality over time."
The next step in the process will be for the ICSC to review and respond to the comments and suggestions of its membership. If there appears to be a general consensus that these are appropriate, it is the intent of the ICSC to approach the search engines, as well as industry trade associations to determine whether they can be implemented and improve the quality of content on the Internet.
About the ICSC
Founded in October 2007, the Internet Content Syndication Council (ICSC) is a central source of information for companies actively engaged in or seeking to explore Internet content syndication. On behalf of its members, the ICSC promotes the growth of the Internet content syndication industry by improving understanding of what Internet content syndication is and how it acts as a means of revenue generation for digital publishers, a mode of marketing for advertisers and a system of quality content provision to consumers and networks alike. ICSC members include representatives from leading advertising, technology and media organizations.
For more information, please contact:
Tim Duncan, Executive Director
Tel: 781-329-1266
E-mail: TimDuncan@internetsyndication.org