Code of Ethics

  1. It is your prerogative to express your views. The pillars of a democratic society are Freedom of Speech, Information, Publication, and Expression. As a Health Content Creator, it is incumbent upon you to utilize and safeguard these rights consistently.
  2. Maintain a questioning stance towards all things, including yourself. As a Health Content Creator, you contribute to the generation and discourse of free knowledge. It is your duty to cast a discerning eye on societal events as well as on how Health Content Creators, yourself included, are portraying these events.
  3. Leverage your influence to shield others. As a Health Content Creator, you possess the capability to spotlight wrongdoings and omissions inflicted on individuals or groups. Exercise this power judiciously.
  4. Uphold honesty at every juncture. With significant influence comes significant accountability. Words and imagery are potent tools that ought to be wielded with utmost caution. When disseminating content, accurately depict the facts as they stand, even if they oppose your views.
  5. Clearly distinguish your personal beliefs as such. Your interpretation and opinion on events carry weight and ought to be shared, but should not be mistaken for concrete facts or data. When expressing your or someone else’s views or interpretation, always clarify it as such. Never portray opinion, interpretation, or speculation as truth.
  6. Disclose any affiliations to preserve your independence. To maintain your credibility and integrity as a Health Content Creator, always disclose any associations, be they financial, personal, political, or otherwise, to the subject or topic you are discussing. Even the perception of bias can undermine your credibility unless forewarned. In simple terms, if you have a political bias, disclose it; if you are paid by or receive money from the subject you are covering, disclose it; if you were given gifts or preferential treatment for a favorable review or commentary, disclose it. By revealing these ties, your views retain their informational value that would otherwise be diminished by suspicion of bias.
  7. Disclose your sources unless it jeopardizes their safety. Always disclose your sources to maintain transparency unless it could endanger the source. By ensuring transparency, you enhance your own content’s credibility and allow others to further investigate the facts.
  8. Exercise skepticism towards your sources and seek independent confirmation. Even if you are ethical and unbiased, your sources may not be. Prior to presenting information as fact, always verify your source’s reliability and seek independent confirmation of the facts. If none can be obtained, state it clearly.
  9. Always acknowledge the original source. Provide appropriate recognition when using, quoting, or basing your content on others’ work. In essence, present quotes as quotes, link back to original articles, credit photos and illustrations to the original creator, etc.
  10. Always respect the original intent of a statement. When quoting or paraphrasing a statement, ensure that the intended meaning is conveyed. Never edit or alter a statement in a manner that changes its original intent.
  11. Provide your adversary an opportunity to rebut. The essence of an open discussion is to provide both parties an opportunity to express their views. Always allow your opponent to present the counter-argument.
  12. Acknowledge and rectify your errors promptly. When an inconsistency or mistake in your content is identified by you or others, correct it promptly and notify your audience of the change to ensure those who base their views and content creation on the erroneous information can also correct it. Upholding the truth and presenting facts is your responsibility, even if it entails admitting your errors.