Media use of Facebook in major stories.

Corsendonk

Is Facebook becoming a primary source for the media to use for a story? Can it be trusted? Two examples of this just this week on how the media relies on FB for information on an individual.

• Stepping Hill Hospital Deaths- media outlets were using photos of the suspect gained from her FB account and reporting comments she had made on FB.

• Norway Attacks- primary source of information on media outlets about the arrested suspect is his FB comments and his hobbies, interests and views listed on the site.

Reading some of my friends FB pages like the way the two cases above have been reported some would be easily reported as sexual deviants, potential terrorists and malcotents from comments, interests, photos and fb groups joined by them if they ever god forbid had the media reporting on them.

FloatingVoter

Hopefully none of friends will be in the loop for murdering 84 kids or a number of hospital patients. Then they need have no worries.

coylemj

The alternatives are to hack into their phones or doorstep the parents for a photo, I'd let them lift the data from FB any day, lesser of many evils.

If people haven't needed the warnings about privacy setting it serves them right if the media get that stuff from FB.

Corsendonk

coylemj wrote: »

The alternatives are to hack into their phones or doorstep the parents for a photo, I'd let them lift the data from FB any day, lesser of many evils.

If people haven't needed the warnings about privacy setting it serves them right if the media get that stuff from FB.

You ever checked a news story that had FB info used? I have a few times and the majority of times the accounts were locked. I don't think prison cells allow FB access just yet so the press either bought the info off a friend or hacked the account.

coylemj

Corsendonk wrote: »

You ever checked a news story that had FB info used? I have a few times and the majority of times the accounts were locked. I don't think prison cells allow FB access just yet so the press either bought the info off a friend or hacked the account.

I think you're looking at a case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

IRE60

Nothing wrong with using FB information. It's freely available and posted by the individuals. If anything is adds to the background of the character at times.

JustinDee

Corsendonk wrote: »

Reading some of my friends FB pages like the way the two cases above have been reported some would be easily reported as sexual deviants, potential terrorists and malcotents from comments, interests, photos and fb groups joined by them if they ever god forbid had the media reporting on them.

Media uses it to tide itself over until further background material from investigations shows up.
Tabloid and sensationalist publications who churn out rubbish by habit won't give a stuff. If they don't get it either way, they'll make it up as The Sun did on Saturday with its Al-Qaeda bilge.
The BBC and such likes just said that it was all the information they had at the moment.
Its also up to the listener, reader or viewer to be able to distinguish bullsh*t from actual and relevant information. Buy a tabloid, expect rubbish.

goose2005

Interestingly, the Norway killer set up a Twitter account and only made 1 tweet, a few days before the killings. So it's pretty clear that he knew the media would look at his online stuff.