Sharing stories, respecting voices. A guide to ethical collaboration
When it is ok to republish Buffalo's Fire content and how: instructions for media partners
We value collaborative journalism and our mission is to amplify Indigenous voices as far and as deeply as possible. However, there's a correct way to share journalistic content and doing so with integrity.
Content from Buffalo's Fire may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without express written permission from the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance. Media partners with existing media sharing agreements, please refer to the guidelines below.
How to share content in the right way
When referencing another publication's work (including ours!), the most effective approach combines a concise summary with clear attribution. Start by briefly summarizing the original piece, highlighting key findings or arguments relevant to your readers. This enhances your own reporting and provides context.
Then you should give clear accreditation, including:
- Author's name: (If available)
- Publication name
- A clear hyperlink to the original source. Do not use generic phrases like "click here," "read more," or "check this." The anchor text should be concise but informative, providing context for your readers, and be respectful to the original source.
For example: As reported by Jane Doe in The Awesome Times, a recent study found that [brief summary of the key point, with a phrase describing the study's findings as the hyperlinked anchor text].
Canonical Tags are very, very, very, very important
When republishing content (with permission), it's essential to use canonical tags correctly.
If you've never heard of them, they're like a digital signal that tells search engines (like Google and Bing) and social platforms (like Facebook and Twitter) which version of a piece of content is the original one, preventing confusion when the same content appears on multiple sites.
Canonical tags, not visible on the page, are found in the <head> section of a web page's source code.They look like this:
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/article-original-url/" />
If you publish content from Buffalo's Fire, the canonical tag on your page must point back to the original article on Buffalo's Fire. No exceptions!
If you are using WordPress, here's how to manage canonical links:
- Yoast SEO: In the post editor, go to the Yoast SEO meta box, click "Advanced," and enter the original article's URL in the "Canonical URL" field. Save or update.
- Rank Math: In the post editor, find the Rank Math meta box, go to the "Advanced" or "Schema" section, and paste the original article's URL in the "Canonical URL" field. Save or update.
- Other SEO Plugins: Most reputable plugins offer a "Canonical URL" field. Consult your plugin's documentation if needed.
We do our best to add canonical tags for all the stories we publish as part of a media share agreement, and we are going through our archive to make sure that we add canonicals to each and every one we have published in the past. If you notice that something is missing, please let us know, and we will fix it right away.
Why proper attribution matters
Sharing content ethically and legally is very important, in general, not only to us. Proper attribution isn't just good practice; it builds trust with your audience and protects the rights of all journalists.
- Respecting Authors: Journalists invest significant time and effort. Using their work without credit is like taking credit for their accomplishments.
- Legal Considerations: Copyright law protects original content. Unauthorized use can have legal consequences.
- Building Credibility: Transparency and honesty enhance a publication's credibility. Proper attribution demonstrates integrity.
- Enhancing User Experience: Clear attribution provides context and adds to the trustworthiness of the information.
By following these guidelines, publications share content ethically and legally, creating a more informative and trustworthy experience for all.