Class Discussion Questions for http://bit.

ly/social-media-ethics: Ryan Thornburg Assistant Professor School of Journalism and Mass Communication University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill JOMC 491: Social Media for Journalists September 5, 2012 What is aggregation? What do you think of Steve Buttrys historical argument in favor of aggregation? Do his analogies work? What are some of Buttrys guidelines for ethical aggregation? Buttry says he cant think of a reason not to link in digital content. Can you? Whats the difference between attribution and linking? How do avoid misappropriating someone elses work? How would you do this on Facebook? What are the different ways that Buttry says you can add value in the aggregation and curation process? What might be some of the strengths or weaknesses in his different techniques? Buttry says he doesnt verify every point from a source he aggregates from. How is this different or similar from a reporters technique using human sources? How about documents or data? Buttry mentions that newspapers dont check the facts from the AP. Why dont they? Buttry calls libraries aggregators. Whats different and similar between a library and news organization?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/opinion/11pubed.html? _r=1
Times Public Editor Clark Hoyt says that editors are dressing better. Do you agree or disagree? What is a public editor, anyway? If you ran a newsroom, how would you use social media to make it more transparent? How wouldnt you use it?

What professional consequences have you observed for journalists who post on social media something they wouldnt say in print or on air? And, is there a difference between what youd say in print and what youd say on air? Is Hoyt advocating that the print report become more like Twitter and Facebook? Why or why not?

http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/06/twitter_arm/
How do journalists survive the world of the Twitter bot?

http://www.andycarvin.com/?p=1762
Howd he do it? Any place his reporting seemed shoddy? How did Amina trick so many people? How is she similar or different from @trackgirl? We often talk about journalists keeping stories close to their vest until theyre nished? How did Carvin do or not do that? Did Carvin report anything before he knew it for a New York Times fact? Lots of criticism of the MSM after Tom McMasters was outed. Fair criticism?

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ombudsman-blog/2010/08/ post_columnist_mike_wise_suspe.html
Journalists are funny and/or sarcastic folks who often take solace in gallows humor. Doesnt everyone know that? http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/newsgathering-storytelling/138495/how-to-verify-and-when-topublish-news-accounts-posted-on-social-media/ Jeff Sonderman says that you should use a sources social media history to determine his or her credibility. What constitutes social media history? What, in this case, would be the relevant past? If you dont know something FOR SURE, when might you actually go ahead with it?

Anything surprise you in the social media policies of news organizations?