> What are our guidelines for publishing photos and text found on the Web (copyrights)?
I think that you have to advise sticking to the law. Everything on the internet is copyright, unless it specifically gives permission to use it. If you find something that you would like to use, then contact the owner and ask them for their permission.
> What about fact-checking information, publishing photos with route lines that haven't been climbed, and reporting illegal or unwelcome ascents?
Fact checking information - I think this should be done where practical - but when not practical, just say what the source of the information is, to make it clear. So you could say "Fred Bloggs claims to have on-sighted a new E14" Rather than "Fred Bloggs HAS on-sighted a new E14"
Publishing photos with route lines that haven't been climbed - why would you be doing this? In order to encourage or suggest a new ascent? What would be the problems caused by doing this?
Reporting illegal or unwelcome ascents - hmmm... I think each case has to be looked at individually. For example, if someone did an illegal ascent, quietly and without drawing attention to themselves, and then it was reported, and as a result, then access to an area was endangered, then that may not be wise. However, if many illegal ascents were threatening access to an area, then reporting on it may help to discourage the illigal climbing and might improve access to an area?
> What do we think about “exclusivity” in first ascents, where media sponsors “lock up” information about an expedition until they have reported it first?
I think it is up to the climbers how they choose to disclose information about their ascent. There may be people who do ascents and never tell anyone about it. That is up to them. If they choose to have sponsorship which involves exclusivity, then once again, that is their choice. They are the ones doing the route - they can choose how to deal with it. After all, without any sponsorship, they may never get to do the route in the first place.
However, I do think that sponsors have a bit of a responsibility to get the information out in a fairly timely fashion - after all, it will lose its interest, the older it is, and these things do have a way of leaking out in dribs and drabs anyway....