Verify Social Media Virus News: People spread hoaxes thinking they’re sharing valuable information with friends and family, writes Jessica Roy. Verify social media accounts, sites and the information, she writes.
Tag Archives: Social Media
Being Ethical on Social Media
Being ethical on social media: Ethicist David Craig says being ethical on social media involves asking hard questions and doing it in the open. From the Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists archives.
Facebook Fake News
Facebook fake news: It’s not easy to spot fake news, writes Laura Hazard Owen, who conducted a test on whether posts identified as fake are flagged as false.
Tweets Backfire
Tweets backfire: The Des Moines Register fires a reporter for offensive tweets while he was working on a story about offensive tweets. His own tweets from nine years ago came to light, writes Sydney Smith.
The Facebook Effect
The Facebook effect: Users often think they are immune to negative influences of social media, while others are not, writes Joseph B. Walther.
“That paradox helps explain why more than 2 billion people continue to use the site each month,” writes Walther, “and it also helps explain what’s behind the pressure to regulate” Facebook.
Correcting Errors In The Digital Age
Correcting errors in the digital age: “One essential element of transparency is doing corrections right,” writes Dan Gillmor.
In the digital age, “we can fix the error right in the news article (or video or audio) and append an explanation, thereby limiting the damage, because people new to the article will get the correct information,” he writes.
Brits Propose Global Tech Ethics Code
Brits propose global tech ethics code: Taking aim at fake news and disinformation, a United Kingdom parliament committee reports “our democracy is at risk” from election interference through social media.
Social Media Tops Print As News Source
Social media tops print as news source: For the first time, more Americans get news from social media than print newspapers, says the Pew Research Center.
Overall, television still is the most popular platform for news consumption, writes Elisa Shearer. Age gaps widen in media preferences. Print’s popularity persists among ages 65 and older. Younger Americans are not wed to one platform.
Guarding Against Online Trolls
Guarding against online trolls: James Ball reports that journalistic thoughtfulness often “goes out the door when it comes to reporting events that begin on social media.”
Online celebrities and people on the internet often are manipulators with agendas, Ball writes.
“And journalists fall into their trap, time and time again; something about online messaging turns off our reporting instincts.”
Images And False Portrayals
Images and false portrayals: Rick Paulas reports that KTVU apologized for using an image from a murder victim’s Facebook account.
The news media often treat subjects differently according to race, writes Paulas, portraying black families as living in poverty and being involved in crime. This has “real-life consequences” and sways attitudes.
Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists 