Comments on: Does Social Networking Threaten Journalistic Integrity?

By: Kristine Lowe

Kristine Lowe — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 07:51:11 +0000

Very interesting discussion. I linked to it above from the former blog of Norwegian Online News Association (NONA), which I run (former because we just moved the blog to a new site). Now I was going to say, but almost forgot in the endless deadline race: does talking to people in the pub threaten journalistic integrity? Essentially, that’s what we’re doing in social media, talking to people, the only, and major, difference is that much of what we say online is public and, due to permalinks, searchable.

By: Sveriges Radios policy for sosiale medier skaper furore « NONA: nettverket for oss som jobber med nettmedier

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:58:48 +0000

[...] om LA Times’ nye policy her, og du finner en interessant debatt om den i kommentarfeltet på Shannon Pauls boggpost om den. Men amerikanske medier har en så annerledes kultur enn norske, med mye strengere holdninger til [...]

By: Ivan Walsh

Ivan Walsh — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:24:49 +0000

A relatively successful journalist once said to me, “the job of a good journalist is to befriend the subject and then betray them at the optimum moment.”

For many of us the concept of ‘journalist integrity’ is an oxymoron.

Hope that doesn’t sound cynical but that’s my experience with them. The rest is moral posturing.

Ivan

By: Daniel Honigman

Daniel Honigman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:47:22 +0000

First off, I think it’s foolish to believe a social media policy, in and of itself, will affect MSM profit margins.

Reporters must get over the fact that the way they act online will reflect the way they act offline. Following someone on Twitter may reveal someone as a source. So if you don’t want someone to know about your sources, just don’t follow them.

At the end of the day, many reporters don’t regularly need anonymous sources and in many cases, those sources aren’t even on Twitter. But the Times is right to lay these tips out, and it comes across as an FYI, not as a must-do.

Journalists aren’t stupid. In fact, they’re right in raising these questions. But here are some simple do’s and don’ts:

- Do use social media to build your audience. Don’t use social media to tip your hand, if you’re in a competitive market.

- Do use social media to be an evangelist for your news brand. Don’t use it to pimp your brand exclusively — post links from your competitors when they beat you on a story.

It’s great you’re opening this up for debate, Shannon, but I’d love to see your point of view on this.

By: Warren Whitlock

Warren Whitlock — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:28:56 +0000

The discussion of what a journalist should disclose is humorous. I’d be laughing out loud were it not for the sadness of seeing the stuck in the old paradigm.

While deciding what to disclose, the news has been tweeted, posted and discussed.

Humans what to connect directly to news and other people.. any system set up to block that is in peril

By: Paul Westlake

Paul Westlake — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:08:06 +0000

Ideology and money have the potential to threaten journalistic integrity more than anything else. Like any other tool, social media is an extension of what the user brings to the interaction. It amplifies the ideologue as much as it tempers the moderate. As far as drawing inferences from following or friending a person or interest group that may have an agenda, I think that’s a stretch. What’s the “opposing viewpoint” to the ACLU – the neo-nazis? How about AARP – the Mickey Mouse Club? Journalists are in the information business and the wider you cast your net, the more likely you’ll find something worth reporting. The worst case scenario for a reporter is not knowing something when everyone else does.

By: Jillian Marie

Jillian Marie — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:40:46 +0000

I wrestle with this issue in my mind quite often. I think social media is fascinating, overwhelming, scary and fantastic, all at the same time. I wonder if news is more informative, accurate and accessible as an online conversation (drawing from the wisdom of the crowd), or if something is lost. It’s a really tough call. I can say that one of my favorite journalists/storytellers, Hunter S. Thompson, never really believed in objective journalism. He thought that real truth presented itself in subjective narratives and had little to do with hard facts. I tend to agree. Social media may reinforce that notion. There are just A LOT of narrators to choose from in social media.

By: RG

RG — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:09:00 +0000

Perhaps the current lists feature (to use twitter as one example of social interaction) can evolve. Conversations that occur within a ‘Journalists’ or ‘News’ list by journalists can be seen as conveying news and discussing issues neutrally. Then, outside of the list the journalist can take a more personal approach.

By: Shannon Paul

Shannon Paul — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:58:19 +0000

Rufus,

I don’t know — I’m torn. I think transparency and speaking openly about times when it’s difficult to be objective is more honest than any rote guise of objectivity. Any approach that presents information and encourages others to make up their own mind is way more helpful than only presenting the facts that support your argument.

While I’m not a journalist, I know from studying and practicing journalism as a student that you basically construct an article from bits of information in a way that tells a story. Rather than injecting your opinion, you let others’ opinions craft the narrative. At the end of the day, the journalist still picks the quotes to insert into the article.

Maybe it’s not about talking to people on Twitter, but in many cases it would be exciting to see journalists answering reader comments on their own articles, or having some kind of “extras” bits available on a story that includes interview quotes and data bits that didn’t make the article. Just a thought…

Thanks for making me think :)

By: Shannon Paul

Shannon Paul — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:51:39 +0000

Todd,

It seems a lot of people are struggling with a similar issue: How to build a business model around content. I hope you find a great way to leverage the work you’re doing into a profitable business.