Each one of us has the opportunity to reach millions of people with what we post online. With so many online outlets such as chat rooms, message boards, blogs, social networking sites we have to be careful with what we post.
We all get heated about certain things we are passionate about in life. It’s easy when we’re in the moment to go online and post our frustrations. This may not be a good idea because if you damage someone’s reputation they could sue you.
UNDERSTANDING THE RULES
We hold many news agencies and journalists to high standards. We expect the truth and we expect our news to be accurate. New agencies and journalists have to be careful about what they say and do on the air because it could have an impact on how we perceive or view someone. With that being said we can not damage somebodies reputation reputation online, on TV or in a magazine or newspaper.
“To avoid defamation, journalists need to recognize it. Libel is written; slander is spoken. Although local laws define defamation differently, as a general rule, libel is an unprivileged, false statement of fact that is published and that injured a person’s reputation. Reporters and publishers get into trouble when the statement is published as a result of negligence or malice”
As citizens, we need to be held to the same standard. We have the right to disagree but we can’t make false accusations and damage someone’s reputation.
PREVENTION
By following the basics of journalism, you can limit the risk of having a lawsuit on your hand by posting inappropriate content about individuals.
Tell the truth. One of journalism’s foundations is by telling the truth. Lying not only damages your reputation but it also could land you in a lot of trouble. If you tell the truth then you have nothing to worry about. This includes slanting the truth to make the story more interesting.
Private vs. Public. This is important to know. We hold public figures differently than we do private individuals. Public individuals must prove that you acted maliciously or purposely lied causing them to be brought under false light. A private individual only has to prove that you acted negligently.
Balance. Every story has two sides. Another foundation of journalism is balance. This causes the story to become unbiased. I wrote a post last week on the risks of journalists posting on blogs and social media. In that post, I discussed one of the keys is to remain balanced in posting online. We all have opinions, but balancing them with other people’s opinions will not only attract more people to your story but it will also be good journalism.
Wait. Stop. Think. So you are really annoyed with someone. They did something unforgivable to you and you’re ready to go off the deep end. Don’t immediately go to your computer and start going on the defensive. Cool down and think about things objectively before posting. Take a couple hours or a day to let the situation calm down. You may also realize that it really wasn’t as big of a deal that it seemed at first.
Proof it. As a journalist, proofing your work is important to catch typographical errors but also to make sure you have things right. In certain instances this may not be plausible like in breaking news. Furthermore, some journalists are under incredible time restraints which limit them the appropriate time to check their work. However, if you have the time proofread – do it. It doesn’t hurt to also have an extra set of eyes read it as well.
What are your thoughts on this issue? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think.
