To my colleagues in the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics

As this extraordinary and sometimes difficult quarter draws to a close, I want to share some thoughts about the use of social media and the impact that it has on the economics community and on the University of Chicago.

First, I want to reaffirm my unwavering belief that each of us is and should be free to express our views in whatever way we believe is appropriate. Our ability to write and speak controversial ideas is central to our shared goal of advancing the frontier of economic knowledge.

Second, I want to encourage you to tell the world about your rigorous research and about the facts that it has uncovered. Rigorous research is the hallmark of Chicago economics, and as economists, communication with the broader community, including fellow scholars as well as policy-makers, is critical. For many of you, social media is an important communication platform.

At the same time, never forget that our job titles mean that we are representatives of the University of Chicago and the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics. To represent what we all aspire for that community to be, it is critical that we always maintain a professional demeanor and a high standard of discourse, and are always respectful of those who disagree with us.

Finally, I urge each of us to remember that with the right to free speech comes responsibilities. What we write affects public policy. What we write and how we write it affects how scholars and the broader public view us. It also affects how people view our colleagues, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, and the broader community of economists at the University of Chicago and elsewhere, as well as our ability to attract the best scholars to our department. Before we engage in any platform, be it social media or another, we might pause to consider whether we have presented our ideas in the best possible manner to convey our point and to reinforce the ideals of our community of scholars.