Class Discussion Question for Social Media Ethics & Policies for Journalists

7/31/2019 Class Discussion Question for Social Media Ethics & Policies for Journalists

1/3

Class Discussion Questions for http://bit.ly/social-media-ethics :

Ryan ThornburgAssistant ProfessorSchool of Journalism and Mass Communication

University of North Carolina at Chapel HillJOMC 491: Social Media for JournalistsSeptember 5, 2012

What is aggregation?

What do you think of Steve Buttrys historical argument in favor of aggregation? Do hisanalogies work?

What are some of Buttrys guidelines for ethical aggregation?

Buttry says he cant think of a reason not to link in digital content. Can you?

Whats the difference between attribution and linking?

How do avoid misappropriating someone elses work? How would you do this onFacebook?

What are the different ways that Buttry says you can add value in the aggregation andcuration process? What might be some of the strengths or weaknesses in his differenttechniques?

Buttry says he doesnt verify every point from a source he aggregates from. How isthis different or similar from a reporters technique using human sources? How aboutdocuments or data?

Buttry mentions that newspapers dont check the facts from the AP. Why dont they?

Buttry calls libraries aggregators. Whats different and similar between a library andnews organization?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/opinion/11pubed.html?

_r=1Times Public Editor Clark Hoyt says that editors are dressing better. Do you agree or disagree?

What is a public editor, anyway?

If you ran a newsroom, how would you use social media to make it more transparent? How

wouldnt you use it?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/opinion/11pubed.html?_r=1http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/opinion/11pubed.html?_r=1http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/opinion/11pubed.html?_r=1http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/opinion/11pubed.html?_r=1http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/opinion/11pubed.html?_r=1http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/opinion/11pubed.html?_r=1https://bitly.com/#https://bitly.com/#


2/3

What professional consequences have you observed for journalists who post on social media

something they wouldnt say in print or on air?

And, is there a difference between what youd say in print and what youd say on air?

Is Hoyt advocating that the print report become more like Twitter and Facebook? Why or why

not?

http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/06/twitter_arm/

How do journalists survive the world of the Twitter bot?

http://www.andycarvin.com/?p=1762Howd he do it? Any place his reporting seemed shoddy?

How did Amina trick so many people? How is she similar or different from @trackgirl?

We often talk about journalists keeping stories close to their vest until theyre finished? How did

Carvin do or not do that?

Did Carvin report anything before he knew it for a New York Times fact?

Lots of criticism of the MSM after Tom McMasters was outed. Fair criticism?

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ombudsman-blog/2010/08/post_columnist_mike_wise_suspe.html

Journalists are funny and/or sarcastic folks who often take solace in gallows humor. Doesnt

everyone know that?

http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/newsgathering-storytelling/138495/how-to-verify-and-when-to-

publish-news-accounts-posted-on-social-media/

Jeff Sonderman says that you should use a sources social media history to determine his or hercredibility. What constitutes social media history? What, in this case, would be the relevant

past?

If you dont know something FOR SURE, when might you actually go ahead with it?
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ombudsman-blog/2010/08/post_columnist_mike_wise_suspe.htmlhttp://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/06/twitter_arm/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ombudsman-blog/2010/08/post_columnist_mike_wise_suspe.htmlhttp://voices.washingtonpost.com/ombudsman-blog/2010/08/post_columnist_mike_wise_suspe.htmlhttp://voices.washingtonpost.com/ombudsman-blog/2010/08/post_columnist_mike_wise_suspe.htmlhttp://voices.washingtonpost.com/ombudsman-blog/2010/08/post_columnist_mike_wise_suspe.htmlhttp://www.andycarvin.com/?p=1762http://www.andycarvin.com/?p=1762http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/06/twitter_arm/http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/06/twitter_arm/


3/3

Anything surprise you in the social media policies of news organizations?

Documents

Class Discussion Question for Social Media Ethics & Policies for Journalists