Ethics of Social Media

8/8/2019 Ethics of Social Media

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Potential pitfalls in reporting

The ethics of social media


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Their policy, our examples


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Making connections is good

Journalists should ensure they are using a full array of tools

for gathering information, including face-to-face

interviews and shoe leather reporting. Sites like Facebook

and MySpace are not a substitute for actual interviews by

phone or in person, or other means of information

gathering, and should not be solely relied upon.


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When the story was told

Taser incident: 2 p.m. March 18

Tribune story: 12:51 p.m. March 19

Missourian: 6:39 p.m. March 19

Twitter: 2:08 p.m. March 18


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Consider diversity

It is the journalist's job to consider the variety and diversity

of sources used for stories, and the same applies to sources

found on social networking sites. Consider if finding

sources this way leads you to a predominance of people of a

certain race, ethnicity, political persuasion, belief system,

world view, age or income.


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Who is using what?y Facebook

y Dominant age: 45-54 (25%)

y Dominant education: Some college (40%)

y Dominant income: $50,000-$74,999 (34%)

y Dominant gender: Female (60%)

y Monthly visitors: 132 million

Source: Google Ad Planner


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Who is using what?y LinkedIn.com


y Dominant education: Bachelors degree (37%)


y Dominant gender: 50/50 splity Monthly visitors: 82 million



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Who is using what?y Twitter


y Dominant education: Some college (49%)


y Dominant gender: Female (60%)y Monthly visitors: 21.2 million



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Verification

Information gathered using social networks should be

independently confirmed offline. Verify that the person

youve contacted online is in fact the person you think

youve contacted. Interview sources in person or over the

phone whenever possible. As always, verify claims and

statements.


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2009 football season Mizzou gets Texas Bowl


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Sensitivity

Ensure informed consent. Its easy for sources to

misunderstand your intentions. Identify yourself as a

reporter forThe RoanokeTimes/roanoke.com and advise

the source that you are gathering information from them

for publication.

Consult an editor before using social networking sites to

contact children and others who may not be able to fully

comprehend the consequences of speaking to a journalist.


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Images

Before using photos copied or downloaded from social

networking sites, be careful to verify that the photos are

what you think they are. All other standards for

photographs used in our publications naturally apply.


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Transparency

Be transparent with the audience as well as sources. Let

them know how you contacted people, in what context you

gathered the information and how you verified it (or didnt

verify it). If information was obtained from a Facebook

page, for example, say that.


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Topic: When is a friend not a friend?

When its a source, says the New YorkTimes


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Social media policy at NY Times

Remember that although you might get useful leads by

joining a group on one of these sites, it will appear on your

page, connoting that you joined it potentially

complicated if it is a political group, or a controversial

group.


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Social media policy at NY Times

Another problem worth thinking about is how to be about

Facebook friends. Can we write about someone who is a

friend?

In general, being a friend of someone on Facebook is

almost meaningless and does not signify the kind of

relationship that could pose a conflict of interest


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Want more?

y Database of social media policies:

http://socialmediagovernance.com/policies.php

Documents

Ethics of Social Media