#Newsroom14 claire wardle

WAN-IFRA Newsroom Summit

Ethical Conundrums in a Digital Age

Peter BarronDirector of Communication,Europe, Middle East & Africa, Google @peterbarron1

Steve HerrmannEditor of BBC News Online and

Editorial Lead for Product Development@BBCSteveH

Fergus BellSocial Media and UGC Editor InternationalAssociated Press@fergb

Claire WardleSocial Media Strategist, UNHCR

@cward1e

ISIS have captured a new town on the Turkish Syria border. News agencies have confirmed ISIS flags are flying in the town square. The only pictures you have are on an ISIS affiliated YouTube account. Do you:

a) Decide not to run the picturesb) Decide to run the pictures, with an ‘unverified pictures’ captionc) Decide to run the pictures, with a label that explains it is an ISIS

videod) Decide to run the pictures with both labels


A new video is posted by ISIS on YouTube, apparently showing the killing of a named western hostage, accompanied by threats and a message from the killer. Do you:

a) Decide not to run anything from itb) Decide to use a short non-graphic section of the videoc) Decide to use a non-graphic still from the video that only

shows the hostaged) Decide to use a non-graphic still from the video that only

shows the killere) Decide to use a non-graphic still that shows both men?

If you decide to use any of it, do you?

a) Use the audio from the video?b) Paraphrase the speech used in the video in your voiceover?c) Take the words from their script and include it in your

voiceover?d) Not repeat any of the text in your package?


You are YouTube, and people have flagged the same video on the platform by clicking the ‘Report’ button. Do you:

a) Remove the video?b) Put the video behind an 18 and over page?c) Do nothing because it’s important these videos remain for

historical purposes?


Local police confirm there is an active shooter situation in a shopping centre at least 45 minutes from the office. User-generated content is going to be the only source of content before your crews can get there. A producer identifies someone in the shopping centre. You can see that they have a good vantage point because they’ve already tweeted a photo of what looks like bodies on the ground. If verified this would be the first image from inside. How do you proceed?

a) Decide not to use the picture, because you won’t be able to verify the picture properly without talking to the upolader, and that doesn’t seem possible.

b) Use the picture, but do not attempt to contact the uploader, They are in a dangerous situation.

c) Contact the uploader to obtain permission to use the picture. You know you shouldn’t use UGC without permission from the uploader. If they’re not safe, they won’t answer.

d) Contact the uploader to check whether they’re safe, and ask them whether they have any video already stored on their phone.

e) Contact the uploader to ask them to shoot some video for you.


One of your staff has been successfully screening and processing the gruesome user-generated content coming out of the mall shooting all day. There is no sign the flow of content is going to stop. It is coming to the end of their shift but they say they want to keep working on this big story. Do you:

a) Allow them to keep working as normal because they are doing such a great job. You’re more worried about staff on the ground.

b) Tell them to go home so that they are fresh for tomorrow.

c) Tell them to step away for a break and then assess whether they can continue, after all they are eager to be a part of this.


Your news organisation decides to cover the #nomakeupselfie charity campaign with a photo gallery on your homepage. Through a quick search on Twitter, you can find many pictures posted by women showing their faces. You know that as part of the Twitter T&Cs, you can embed those Twitpics without asking for permission. Do you:

a) Embed them and do no moreb) Embed them and then ask someone to send tweets to the

people involved to inform that their pictures have been and used and to include the URL

c) Ask for permission before you embed them.


During the coverage of the aftermath of MH17, a number of audience members complained about the graphic nature of the images being shown online. Do you:

a) Ensure your ongoing coverage is less graphicb) Keep your coverage the samec) Keep the graphic coverage but make sure it’s behind an

additional wall so that audience members are given more warning about what they’re going to see.


5 years ago, the comment section of your news website ran a discussion about the experiences gay men faced in the UK. One man wrote a very powerful response about being attacked in a park when he walked hand and hand with his boyfriend. As a result your organisation ran a feature piece on his experiences. The man has just moved to Moscow as a senior executive and is worried about his new colleagues finding his remarks. He asks you to take down the discussion. Do you:

a) Apologise but say there is nothing you can do, as it sets a dangerous precedent

b) Take down the comment, but refuse to take down the news article

c) Take down both the comment and the news article


As part of the Right to be Forgotten ruling, a man who had been convicted of fraud and served his sentence requests that any search results that link his name to the case be removed. Should the links be removed?

A woman was a victim of revenge porn, when her ex boyfriend posted nude photographs of her online. She asks Google to have them removed. Should the links be removed?

A graduate student created an anonymous blog when he was doing a PhD, making fun of his undergraduate students. He was ‘outed’ 2 years later by a student blogger. As a successful academic now, he wants links to the sites to be removed.

Robert Peston: Why has Google cast me into oblivion?


European privacy requests for search removals


Advisory Council to Google on the Right to be Forgotten


What would you find useful in terms of navigating ethical

conundrums in a digital age?

#newsroom14ethics or to @cward1e

Training?Guidelines?

Case studies?Best practice documents?

#Newsroom14 claire wardle

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