Handling Damaging Information — Include It Or Shelve It?

I’m not a professional researcher, but as a writer I do research various topics to help form the backbone for many of my articles. Oftentimes, I’ll come across something online worth quoting or get information directly from a source (e.g., a press release) and use that as the basis for what I write.

Occasionally, I’ll find something that’ll raise my eyebrows, details which can have serious repercussions if I choose to include it. The fall out from damaging information could be far-reaching — negative news which might impact a company’s earnings, lower employee morale, and bring about a whole host of unimaginable consequences.

If I do choose to go with negative publicity, there is certain personal criteria that must be met before I will include that information:

1. I must be able to verify the news through at least two sources.

2. The quality of those sources has to be reputable — I’ve come across claims on a message board that while likely containing an element of truth, isn’t always posted without malice.

3. I need to ask myself — “Am I including this information to benefit my career or to inform the public?”

Lest you think that I’m being completely altruistic by not including something that might benefit my career, I’m not. However, if building up my career to bring down others is my motivation, then I’ve lost sight of the reason why I’m sharing what I know — to inform the public.

Yes, the basis for this article stems from recent experience where I chose to shelve damaging information instead of sharing it. While some people might have been helped by what I discovered, the first two of my personal criteria were not met. However, instead of tossing the information away I have saved it in the event additional veriable details eventually surface.

I don’t shy away from sharing potentially damaging information, but my personal reputation trumps the public’s so-called “need to know.”