I have been blogging about the news media’s usage of Facebook profile pages in news reports for a while now. I think this is an issue that is ironically overlooked by the media when they cover Facebook privacy stories. A few months ago I wrote a letter to the CBC’s Ombudsmen asking for details about CBC’s usage of individuals Facebook profiles in news reports. And on Friday, I got a very well written response from the CBC’s Director of Digital Media, Rachel Nixon:
Dear Mr. Jones:
Thank you for your letter of March 21 addressed to Vince Carlin, CBC Ombudsman. Since CBCNews.ca falls in my remit, I would like to respond to your concerns. Please accept my apologies for the delay in doing so.
You asked for information about CBC’s policy with respect to using information gathered from an individual’s Facebook page in news stories. Specifically, you asked about copyright, pointing out that CBC had used a Facebook profile photo of Terri-Lynne McClintic in a story about the abduction of Tori Stafford. You also posed a hypothetical situation, asking if CBC would publish information obtained by a reporter who had access to private Facebook information gained through personal connections. And finally, you asked how we ensure the authenticity of the information in a Facebook profile.
In the story you mentioned, The Canadian Press provided CBC and other media with the Facebook photo of Ms. McClintic. While the Canadian Copyright Act offers protection to copyright holders, it also allows for a number of specific exceptions. Under the heading “Fair dealing” it states that the use of material in news reporting (sec.29.2) does not infringe on the rights of the copyright holder. “Fair dealing” does not give journalists permission for the wholesale to use content from Facebook, of course, but its use was appropriate in this situation.
Your hypothetical question, whether journalists can publish information found though personal connections, is not limited to Facebook. It is also an issue with many aspects. It raises ethical questions, questions of accuracy and, of course, legal concerns. Anyone using such information would also want to take into consideration laws concerning privacy, as well as those protecting the good name and reputation of the Facebook pageholder. It is a difficult question to answer in any detail, without knowing about specific circumstances.
Although CBC’s rigorous Journalistic Standards and Practices (you can find it here: http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/docs/policies/journalistic/ ) does not address this question specifically, it does set a number of principles that would guide a decision on what information should be used or whether it should be used at all.
You also asked how CBC verifies the authenticity of information in a Facebook profile. In most cases, our journalists attempt to reach the pageholder involved and verify information through e-mail or, preferably, by telephone. When this is impossible because of deadlines or because that person has died, we will quote the information, but clearly state its origin and the fact that it has not been verified. Once again, the importance of verification in a digital world goes well beyond Facebook. We also need to be vigilant about anonymous e-mails, hoax websites (which have famously fooled journalists and politicians alike), other attempts to use digital communication to deliver misinformation, and even legitimate websites that have no means of confirming posted information.
I want to thank you for your extremely relevant and important questions about how we conduct ourselves in the digital world. I hope my reply has reassured you of the continuing integrity of our news service.
It is also my responsibility to inform you that if you are not satisfied with this response, you may wish to submit the matter for review by the CBC Ombudsman. The Office of the Ombudsman, an independent and impartial body reporting directly to the President, is responsible for evaluating program compliance with the CBC’s journalistic policies.
Sincerely,
Rachel Nixon
Director of Digital Media
CBC News
I greatly appreciate the CBC for taking the time to answer some of my questions. It makes me an even bigger CBC fan. In response to Rachel’s letter, I replied to her email and asked if she would consider having a reporter do a story on the media’s use of Facebook profiles in news reports. I think it would be very relevant–especially with all the Facebook privacy concerns–and informative to the public.
How would you feel if your Facebook profile page was used in a news story?
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