It used to be a breach of ethics for a journalist to write for corporate clients and print publications at the same time. But the underlying theme I heard at both the Content Connections Conference a few weeks ago and the ASJA Conference in April is that the line is getting blurry.

Because of the shrinking print publication market, it is no longer possible for most freelance writers to earn a good wage writing solely for the glossy magazines found on in the Target checkout line. Most freelance writers I know have a diverse client list that includes traditional publications, brands, and even agencies. With the growing focus on content marketing, there is a big demand in the corporate world for our knowledge of their industries and our storytelling skills. Both of these factors have made it more acceptable, and almost expected, that a freelance writer will work for both journalistic clients and corporate clients at the same time.

But it’s definitely not all black and white. I have to say that I have been asked about this exact topic a bunch of times in the past week. And honestly I don’t have all the answers, or really many answers. I just know how I am currently addressing this issue in my own business and the lines that I have drawn. I think that this is an important conversation the writing community will be having for the next few years. And I think that the answer and the lines will evolve as we move into this unchartered territory.

Here are the guidelines that I use in my own business:

1. Never use a source who you have taken money from.  For me there really is no blurry line on this rule and I hope that other writers feel the same. If a brand hires you for content marketing writing, then you should not ever use them for a source in a story that you write at any point in the future. I also apply this rule to agencies and will not use clients of an agency if I have worked for agency as a writer. For me, breaking this rule is a clear breach of journalistic ethics and I am positive that most, if not all, publication editors would agree.
2. Consider having separate niches for journalism and content marketing. One strategy that some writers use is to only write content marketing deliverables on topics that they don’t cover in their magazine articles. This is actually the best and simplest way to address the ethical issues. I use this strategy for the most part, but will sometimes write both for corporate clients and publications on the same niche in very specific circumstances. On Monday, I am going to share about one situation where I write for both on the same broad topic and another job that I turned down because of a conflict of interest. While this sounds easy on paper, this strategy is often challenging because you cannot use the experience that you gained in the industry to land more gigs, and that is the most important reason a brand hires a writer. If you do write about similar topics for both content marketing and journalism, you need to tread exceptionally carefully.
3. Ask for permission not forgiveness. If you ever have any questions about the ethics of taking on a new client in light of another publication you work with, ask the editor and the client before moving forward. At the NYC ASJA conference, several editors said that they would be fine with it as long as they were told about the issue by the writer and didn’t discover it on their own. ‘Full disclosure’ was the term I heard several times in the answers to this question at the conference.
4. Know where your clients stand on this issue. While having dinner with several writers after the conference last week, one writer shared she wrote for The New York Times and would never write about similar topics elsewhere because the publication had a strict rule on this issue. The more journalistic your publication clients are, especially national newspapers and consumer magazines, the more careful you will need to be. Read your contract, talk to other writers, and tread carefully. I have found that trade publications seem to be relatively relaxed about the issue because they walk the same line with advertisers.
5. Trust your gut. If your intuition doesn’t feel right about a client/publication situation or you think it will put yourself in an uncomfortable situation in the future, then don’t take the client. It’s honestly as easy as that. As writers, the most important things we have are our integrity and our word. Once we have compromised our journalistic integrity, then it will be challenging, if not impossible, for sources, publishers and even other writers to trust us in the future. And when it comes down to it, no amount of money is really worth compromising your personal and professional integrity.

What are your thoughts on the ethics of writing working for both publications and corporate clients? How do you handle this issue in your business?