Social Media & Journalism

Humans are narcissists. We love to talk about ourselves and share things that are generally mundane with people. Social media allows for that. We share our feelings, emotions and daily happenings on Facebook. So I'm not surprised that journalists turned to social media to track down sources and to use that information for stories. It's done even more so today than in 2009 when the Annie Le story broke.  Ethically speaking, Bailey should have told Del Rocco from the get go that she was a journalists and that she would like to use the information she learned on her Facebook page for a story. I think the way the Independent  handled the information they were receiving as the story developed was very good. They were careful not to affect the publics perception of the case and to ensure that the investigation wasn't damaged. The Society of Professional Journalists state that journalists should consider certain things when it comes to the ethics of the job. One of them is to minimize harm and I think that the Independent was working that way. Bailey admitted later that she should have told Del Rocco that she was a journalists when she had added her as a friend.  I feel that if someone refuses to be interviewed it goes without saying that you shouldn't use information on their Facebook page. Although people should be more wary of what they post on Facebook. Nothing leaves the Internet once it's posted and privacy on the Internet is somewhat limited.