The ethics of social media

Potential pitfalls in reporting

Their policy, our examples
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.
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
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.
Who is using what?
Facebook
Dominant age: 45-54 (25%)
Dominant education: Some college (40%)
Dominant income: $50,000-$74,999 (34%)
Dominant gender: Female (60%)
Monthly visitors: 132 million

Source: Google Ad Planner

Who is using what?
LinkedIn.com
Dominant age: 35-54 (56%)
Dominant education: Bachelor’s degree (37%)
Dominant income: $50,000-$74,999 (24%)
Dominant gender: 50/50 split
Monthly visitors: 82 million

Source: Google Ad Planner

Who is using what?
Twitter
Dominant age: 35-44 (27%)
Dominant education: Some college (49%)
Dominant income: $25,000-$49,999 (31%)
Dominant gender: Female (60%)
Monthly visitors: 21.2 million

• Source: Google Ad Planner

Verification
Information gathered using social networks should
be independently confirmed offline. Verify that the
person you’ve contacted online is in fact the person
you think you’ve contacted. Interview sources in
person or over the phone whenever possible. As
always, verify claims and statements.
2009 football season – Mizzou gets Texas Bowl
2009 football season – Mizzou gets Texas Bowl
2009 football season – Mizzou gets Texas Bowl
Sensitivity
Ensure informed consent. It’s easy for sources to
misunderstand your intentions. Identify yourself as a
reporter for The Roanoke Times/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.
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.
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 didn’t verify it). If information was
obtained from a Facebook page, for example, say
that.
Topic: When is a friend not a friend?
When it’s a source, says the New York Times
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.
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
…
Want more?
Database of social media policies:
http://socialmediagovernance.com/policies.php