Code of Conduct
Quick Version
The Computation + Journalism Symposium is dedicated to providing a safe and harassment-free environment for everyone, regardless of gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental health, neurotype, age, physical appearance, body, race, ethnicity, nationality, language, religion or class. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate in a professional environment. We do not tolerate harassment in any form and we are committed to partnering with you to foster a healthy symposium environment.
Full Version
The Computation + Journalism Symposium prioritizes the safety and well-being of marginalized people who are underrepresented in computer science, journalism and related fields, and who are oppressed by structural sexism, racism, classism, ableism, homophobia, xenophobia, and transphobia. This includes but is not limited to: women, people of color, people with disabilities, people with prior military service, formerly incarcerated people, people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender nonconforming, Indigenous peoples, first and second generation immigrants, and people from low-income families.
The Computation + Journalism Symposium recognizes that prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of these groups is a step towards the greater equity and inclusion that computer science, journalism and related fields urgently need.
By attending the symposium as an organizer, speaker, sponsor, volunteer, or attendee, you agree to abide by this code of conduct, and cooperate with the C+J Code of Conduct Committee that enforces it. The Code of Conduct applies to all official symposium spaces and proceedings.
Expected Behavior
Individuals are expected to behave appropriately and professionally during their participation in all projects, collaborations or events. In particular, all individuals should actively avoid intentionally or unintentionally participating in the harassment of individuals. Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, mental health, neurotype, age, physical appearance, body, race, ethnicity, nationality or religion, deliberate misgendering, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption in meetings, lectures or other spaces, physical contact and simulated physical contact (e.g. emoji or textual descriptions) without consent, and unwelcome sexual attention. Consent must be enthusiastic, informed, freely given, specific and reversible upon request.
If you are taking a photograph or video at the symposium, you must ensure that your subject has granted permission – green lanyard = yes, yellow lanyard = ask, red lanyard = no photos please. Red/yellow/green lanyards also apply when the person is presenting their work. Our expectation is that photographs of presenter’s slides may be taken and shared online unless the presenter has explicitly asked the audience not to share their work.
Consent for photos and video must be freely given, enthusiastic, informed, specific and reversible. If you do not receive consent, you may not take a picture or record video. If a person requests that an image of themselves captured during the symposium be unpublished and/or deleted at any time and for any reason, you must comply. Refusing to do so is considered unacceptable behavior and is a breach of the Code of Conduct. The host university’s rules for conduct also govern this event.
Consequences of Unacceptable Behavior
In the course of enforcing this Code of Conduct, the Computation + Journalism Code of Conduct Committee may, at its own discretion, ask an individual to stop some behavior, warn the individual of their violation, or further sanction the individual. Consequences may include expulsion from the symposium with no refund (including no return of sponsorship contributions). Individuals are expected to comply immediately with such requests from the C+J Code of Conduct Committee.
Reporting Unacceptable Behavior
If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible. Harassment and other code of conduct violations reduce the value of our event for everyone. We want you to be happy at our event. People like you make our event a better place.
Please contact a member of the C+J Code of Conduct Committee by talking with them in person, filling out the anonymous reporting form, or emailing them: CJCodeOfConduct@groups.i
The Computation + Journalism Symposium prioritizes marginalized people’s safety over privileged people’s comfort. C+J reserves the right not to act on complaints regarding “reverse-isms”, reasonable communication of boundaries, communicating in a tone you do not like, or criticizing racist, sexist, classist or otherwise oppressive behavior[d]. If another individual asks you to stop engaging in some behavior in the course of participation in the event, you should comply immediately, and are encouraged to contact a member of the Code of Conduct Committee for further guidance.
If you are more comfortable submitting a report anonymously, please do so using this Google Form. We will do our best to respond to the situation, and reports submitted anonymously are taken seriously.
Thank you and Credits
This code of conduct is based on the Bocoup Code of Conduct which was in turn inspired by the Processing Day Code of Conduct, JSConf Code of Conduct, Citizen Code of Conduct, NodeConf Photography Policy, and Open Source Bridge Recording Policy. We also sincerely appreciate the work of Geek Feminism for making Codes of Conduct the norm in tech spaces.
