Keeping your emails off the front page

In the aftermath of Election Day, a lot of random thoughts are colliding in my brain.  A big one has to do with email.

“Never put anything into an email that you don’t want to see on the front page of the newspaper.”

I don’t think Hillary Clinton’s colleagues ever heard that and they certainly didn’t abide by it. I don’t think her email fiascos (notice the plural) are the main reason she lost to Donald Trump, but they didn’t help.

That timeless advice about emails was given to me by Margaret Buchanan, then publisher of the Star-Gazette newspaper in Elmira, N.Y., when she was my boss and I was the executive editor. This was around 1998, and email was just starting to become a standard form of communication.

I have never forgotten what she told me, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job over the years abiding by it. But just think of all the people who make the news, who get caught doing criminal or immoral acts, who now regret those emails.

Three prominent email cases

• Debbie Wasserman Schultz was forced to resign her post as head of the Democratic Party after emails revealed the party plotted against Bernie Sanders in favor of Hillary Clinton.
• Two of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s staff were convicted of all charges in a bizarre political scheme that resulted in huge traffic tie-ups. Emails were key to that case.
• Then there’s Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, whose emails were released by WikiLeaks. Those emails showed the inner workings of the campaign and its dealings with the controversy over Clinton’s private email server while she was secretary of state.

Election loss due to emails?

I don’t think Clinton lost to Trump solely on her email issues but it certainly cast doubt in people’s minds as to whether Clinton committed a crime, what with the FBI investigation and all.

Still, anyone who writes an email should heed that advice: “Never put anything into an email that you don’t want to see on the front page of a newspaper.”

I know I will continue to do so!

What rules do you follow with regard to email?