Media intrusion into social networks

‘On April 12, an 18-year-old blogger with the handle ntcoolfool posted a brief, unexceptional tribute to the deceased American novelist Kurt Vonnegut, for which he received three equally unexceptional responses. On Monday, ntcoolfool’s blog became a scrolling newsreel, providing harrowing details, replete with photos and video footage, of a massacre unfolding below his window.’
– The Times, 18 April 2007

The Press Complaints Commission’s probe into the ethics of media using material published on social networking and other websites dominated by user-generated content, is unlikely to produce guidance that will significantly reduce its use.

It’s simply too easy – and too tempting – for newspapers to concoct an excuse to publish. Up in Barrow-in-Furness they’ll run you out for town for a comment on MySpace on the grounds the good people of Barrow have a right to know what a temporary shop manager thinks of their town.

Much of this debate is defined by the naïvety of social networkers. That temporary shop manager never dreamt his MySpace profile was being read by anyone other than his friends back home. Interestingly, a Flickr search reveals 3,777 celebrity photos available for commercial use at no charge. And that’s growing daily. I reckon few of these photographers realise a big corporation could use their offerings to help sell newspapers without paying them a penny.

Some people will be more careful about what they say on their blogs, but most will find it hard to believe their everyday musings will ever make headlines. So social networking sites are set to continue offering the media background on the so-called ordinary people – non-celebrities and non-politicians – who suddenly find themselves in the news.

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