Listserv policy

JAWS members have access to an email listserv on Google Groups and a Facebook group. The following usage policy applies to both services.

The JAWS Listserv Usage Policy (updated October 2018)

Purpose

The JAWS listserv was created to allow JAWS members to communicate with one another easily and simply on topics of common interest: journalism, women in journalism and subjects relevant to those topics.

Posts should be of journalistic, professional or related benefit to journalists and our members in keeping with JAWS’ mission of a more accurate portrayal of the whole society.

Only paid-up JAWS members may be members of the national email list; to remain on it, please be sure your dues are up to date. Regional listservs are open to potential members as well as to paid members, at the regional captain’s discretion.

You may share commercial or nonprofit training opportunities that you become aware of, participate in or run, and you may let members know of your availability for freelance journalism assignments, but you may not advertise other personal services, even if they are journalism-related.

Participation on the listserv is a privilege of membership, not a right. Posts to the list require a sender’s name and email.

Listserv Etiquette

We welcome diverse voices in this forum.

Members are asked to abide by the rules of common courtesy, professional decorum and their own highest standards of behavior. This should not preclude lively, reasoned and heartfelt debate, and you should expect to see opinions with which you do not agree. Responses are welcome and encouraged but keep in mind the first sentence of this paragraph: That your listserv reputation is built and destroyed by your words, your tone and what you imply.

Keep in mind that although this listserv is considered “private space” for JAWS members, it is impossible to promise that no one will ever quote your messages. This is not the place for private, one-on-one, communication.

You are responsible for your own words.

You should not redistribute other people’s words or email addresses from this list to people or publications outside this list. Likewise, if someone writes to you privately, ask and obtain her permission before posting her words to this forum. Violation of these precepts may be cause for removal from the list.

Furthermore, the JAWS listserv bans the following behaviors:
1. Attacks on a person’s character on the basis of gender, race, class, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability or other personal characteristics.
2. Epithets and other language intended to intimidate or incite violence.
3. Impersonating someone, falsely identifying or misrepresenting yourself or an organization with which you are affiliated.
4. Unsolicited bulk commercial email (spam) or solicitation for funds for organizations other than JAWS. This includes, but is not limited to, fundraising for yourself or for other journalism organizations. You may not advertise services, such as personal coaching sessions, that are not open to the membership or that are not journalism related.
5. Repeated postings irrelevant to journalism, women or JAWS.
6. Transmittal of content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, libelous, obscene or which violates copyright, trademark or patent law.

7. Especially in an election year, be aware that JAWS membership includes people of all political, social and economic stripes. Please avoid direct political conversations, and confine any journalistically related conversations to journalism, not politics.

Listserv Best Practices

1. When possible, send reply messages such as “thanks for the information” or “me, too” to the particular individual only.
2. When possible, warn other list subscribers of lengthy messages in the subject line or at the beginning of the message body with a line that says “Long Message.”
3. Do not send administrative messages, such as “remove me from the list,” to the listserv. To unsubscribe from the list, visit the jaws-members information page.
4. When posting a job listing, please include the “[JOB]” as the prefix, the job title, and the city in the subject line. For example, the subject line could be “[JOB] Wall Street Journal Editor – NYC.”
5. When posting a regional gathering to the national listserv, please include “[JAWS Regional gathering]” and city in the subject line. For example, the subject line could be “[JAWS Regional Gathering] Social Media workshop – LA.”
Anyone determined to be violating the rules of the list will be reminded of these rules and asked to stop or risk losing listserv privileges. If the person continues to abuse the privilege of the listserv, JAWS reserves the right to remove the member from the list.

List Settings
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or edit your settings please visit the jaws-members information page.

To Send a Message to the List
Send email to:

Whatever you send will be sent on to hundreds of JAWS members. Think before you send a message to the list. Remember, you own your own words. Think twice, send once.