A presentation on some of the challenges to maintaining journalistic ethics in a digital age, with a focus on social media.

1. Maintaining
Journalism
Principles
and
Ethics
in
a
Digital
Age
Jill
Hopke
@jillhopke
December
2,
2014

2. What
would
A
major
weather
event
is
happening
across
the
country
in
NYC.
A
friend
who
lives
there
sends
you
a
photo
text.
Would
you?
• Share
on
Facebook
• Share
on
Instagram
• Text
back
for
more
info
• Run
through
Google
Image
Search
• Turn
on
cable
news
• Look
for
similar
images
on
TwiMer
• Something
else?
you
do?

3. Content
Curator
CiNzen
Journalism/
User-­‐Generated
Content
Concepts
for
Today
VerificaNon

4. Changing
News
DistribuNon

5. News
via
Social
Media
News
is
becoming
social
Source:
Pew
Research
Journalism
Project.
(2013).
The
Facebook
News
Experience.

6. “If
it
doesn’t
spread,
it’s
dead.”
Spreadability
• Flow
of
ideas
• Dispersed
material
• Open-­‐ended
parTcipaTon
• Diversified
experiences
• Good
ideas
circulate
• CollaboraTon
across
roles
(e.g.
journalist,
public)
Source:
Jenkins,
H.
et
al.
(2013).
Spreadable
Media:
Crea/ng
Value
and
Meaning
in
a
Networked
Culture.

7. JournalisTc
Norms
on
Social
Media?
• ObligaTon
to
truth
• Loyalty
to
the
public
• VerificaTon
• Independence
• Forum
for
public
discourse
• InteresTng
and
relevant
• Comprehensive
• Exercise
of
personal
conscience
Adapted
from:
Kovach,
B.
&
RosensTel,
T.
(2007).
The
elements
of
journalism:
What
newspeople
should
know
and
what
the
public
should
expect.
New
York:
Three
Rivers
Press.

8. Maintaining
Ethics
with
Changing
News
Roles

9. Who
is
a
“journalist”?
“Miracle
on
the
Hudson”
January
15,
2009

10. The
Rise
of
User-­‐Generated
Content
#AlexFromTarget
October
-­‐
November
2014

11. New
News
Roles
and
the
“Content
Curator”
ü Story
narraTve
and
context
ü Stop
and
verify
through
mulTple
sources
ü If
in
doubt,
don’t
include
ü Communicate
with
your
sources
(direct
message,
email,
phone)
ü Trust
is
sTll
key
ü Be
transparent

12. Changing
Journalist
–
Audience
RelaTonships
Nicholas
Kristof
Facebook
November
12,
2014

13. Changing
Journalist
–
Audience
RelaTonships
Nicholas
Kristof
Facebook
November
13,
2014

14. Verifying
InformaNon
in
a
(Social)
Digital
Age

15. The
Capacity
to
Spread
(False)
Info
Fast
Fake
Hurricane
Sandy
Picture
(From
2009
“Flooded
McDonald’s”)

16. VerificaTon
of
User-­‐Generated
Content
#FakeSandy
The
Guardian,
October
29,
2012

17. Verify
Before
You
Share
“How
A
Fake
Storm
Photo
Goes
Viral”
BuzzFeed
October
29,
2012

18. One
step
ahead
of
Photoshopping
Highway
12
Nebraska
Supercell
Mike
Hollingshead
May
28,
2004

19. VerificaTon
Best
PracTces
• Remember
the
“Who,
what,
when,
where,
why
and
how”
• Is
the
content
original?
• Check
source
locaTon,
date
and
Tmestamp
• Be
skepTcal;
use
third-­‐person
• Think
first
-­‐
If
in
doubt,
don’t
post/retweet
• Check
mulTple
sources/types
of
sources
• Photos:
Landmarks?
Weather
condiTons?
Get
permission,
idenTfy
people,
provide
context,
include
Tme/place
reference;
@menTon
source

20. Returning
to
JournalisTc
Norms
• ObligaTon
to
truth
• Loyalty
to
the
public
• VerificaTon
• Independence
• Forum
for
public
discourse
• InteresTng
and
relevant
• Comprehensive
• Exercise
of
personal
conscience
Adapted
from:
Kovach,
B.
&
RosensTel,
T.
(2007).
The
elements
of
journalism:
What
newspeople
should
know
and
what
the
public
should
expect.
New
York:
Three
Rivers
Press.

21. QuesTons?
Thank
you!
Jill
Hopke
jillhopke@gmail.com
@jillhopke
Jillhopke.com