Emily Lasko
el261708@ohio.edu
Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are changing the face of journalism. No longer are journalists at desks in newspaper offices but sitting at their computer from home. What makes a journalist a journalist and a blogger or tweeter just another human being? Where is the line drawn? These are important and extremely difficult questions to answer. In today's society, everything is turning digital. In the article, "The Limits of Control", Pamela Podger argues that the lines between writing professionally and personally are being blurred. Is it ethical to write a blog about completely relevant information but also completely personal and biased? Podger ponders these issues throughout the entire article.
One could argue that a simple status change on Facebook could be considered journalism. Podger believes that one should identify themselves as a journalist via social networking sites. But would this mean anything? People can be whomever they want to be via Twitter or Facebook. There have been stories written on news broadcasts about individuals completely changing their identity via Facebook. We all know the world is going digital and that traditional media are running to catch up to it. However, this leads to ethical dilemmas and cases where ethics are dropped out altogether.
In a blog written by Jason Falls, he argues that social media requires professional ethics. He argues that there is a link between personal and professional ethics and all it takes is a true and honest person. This seems pretty vague, but at it's core it deals with truth; the main ethical value in journalism. Falls does make a good point when he discusses that above all else, social media sites are used to create relationships. Whether you work for the New York Times or Saatchi and Saatchi, journalists and advertising execs alike strive to create relationships with their clients. Today, social media sites are a great way to do that.
One of the biggest issues surrounding social media and ethics is the idea of privacy. Let's face it. If you write it online, it's not private. I don't care what privacy settings you have put up or how many firewalls I have to break down: It's online and it's online for someone to see it. Does this mean that if my Facebook profile is set to private and my boss uses a friends profile to see it that he is being unethical? Like Podger argues, social media journalism should have the exact same ethics codes as regular print journalism.
Mikael Craig wrote an article concerning the ethics behind social media and advertising. It is one thing to use social media to drive traffic to a client's site. It is when that click is filled with spam or auto friend software that ethical issues come into play. Is it truthful when you show someone you have so much in common and then when they click to accept a request they are hit with spam and other pop ups? However if there were no privacy settings they are really setting themselves up.
Social media may seem negative at first. There is so much available that it is hard to sort out the truth from the make believe. Sarah A. Rigg of the Ann Arbor Business newsletter writes that social media is a powerful tool. It opens an entirely new world for the journalist of today. Journalism centers around getting the truth out and providing the public with accurate and timely information. Although there are pitfalls to the online world, there are tremendous opportunities. It requires holding on strongly to your ethical background and not losing your morals even though you are writing from behind a computer screen.
Journalism is about truth, transparency, and integrity. Online and social media is no different. The lines are blurred and although it may be difficult to obtain credibility; it is not impossible. Dead Wright sees online journalism as an amazing opportunity. The world is ours to conquer and as journalists we have a real opportunity to break the news and write stories that no one else ever has. All it takes is following the basic ethics rules. For example, if you are a serious blogger, have a mission statement. Be honest.
Being an ethical journalist via social media is not impossible. There may be more boundaries to leap and even more honesty measures to take; but serious and willing journalists can really use the internet as a great way to push and challenge their career.
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