When journalists go backstage: Reassessing privacy for social media

Alfred Hermida

Graduate School of Journalism, University of British Columbia

AEJMC, Saturday 9 August

Kristen’s story

Kristen’s story

Kristen’s story

Roy Greenslade“When stories break, it is customary for reporters to do all they can to discover as much as possible about the people involved. The willingness of people to place so much material about themselves on the net has made that task much easier for journalists”http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/greenslade/2008/02/pcc_faces_up_to_facebook_intru.html

The social web

Social media

Erving Goffman

Frontstage

Backstage

Privacy through obscurity

78% would change what they publish about themselves online if they thought it would later used by the mainstream media

78% would change what they publish about themselves online if they thought it would later used by the mainstream media

55% think before posting information that might be used without their consent

78% would change what they publish about themselves online if they thought it would later used by the mainstream media

55% think before posting information that might be used without their consent

89% want clear guidelines about the type of personal information that can be used by the media

78% would change what they publish about themselves online if they thought it would later used by the mainstream media

55% think before posting information that might be used without their consent

89% want clear guidelines about the type of personal information that can be used by the media

http://www.pcc.org.uk/news/index.html?article=NTEzMg

Siobhain Butterworth

Siobhain Butterworth“Privacy is about intrusion rather than secrecy and the question is whether you have a reasonable expectation that something is private, rather than whether you have done or said something in public. These concepts are not easy to apply to social networking sites where the point of the exercise is to share information with others.” http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2236504,00.html

BBC Editorial Policy

BBC Editorial Policy“Consideration should be given to the context in which it was originally published including the intended audience, the impact of re-use on those who may be grieving or distressed, and the legal issues of privacy and copyright”http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2008/02/pictures_from_the_web.html

Tim Berners-Lee

Tim Berners-Lee"Imagine that everything you are typing is being read by the person you are applying to for your first job. Imagine that it's all going to be seen by your parents and your grandparents and your grandchildren as well" http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7302968.stm

Contact: alfred.hermida@ubc.ca

Blog: www.reportr.net