Mark Jones, Community Editor at Reuters, is explaining his roll. Last year, the company had a rude awakening to the power of blogs, when bloggers spotted a photo that had been faked by one of it's photographers in the Middle East. He is trying to work out the rules of engagement for journalists working in social media, including Reuter's bureau in SecondLife, as well as the relationships that Reuters has struck up with Global Voices and Pluck (info on deal).
Social media consultant Euan Semple managed to get half a sentence into his presentation before mentioning that, until March of last year, he worked at the BBC. I did that a lot of times myself when I left for a bit. Anyway, Euan mostly helps businesses understand how to use social software, including blogs and wikis, to improve internal communication.
Euan, when quesitoned about the "quality" of user generated content, challenged the meaning of quality - it's different to everyone.
Mark Jones, on the same topic, says that their professional photographers who "are the best in the world are quite picky about what they include" whilst, at the same time, Reuters has a deal with Yahoo for user contributed photographs.
The panel moderator asks Mark Jones to discuss the internal conversations that took place when the faked photos were exposed.
"We've encouraged senior editors to just say it the way it is, no matter how uncomfortable that might feel... I see it as a necessary investment. We are nothing if not transparent and honest..."
For Reuters, the point where it became obvious that they'd need to network their professional photographers with amateurs was following the Asian Tsunami, where for days the only photos coming out were "user generated photos".
The moderator asks about the "editorial decisions journalists make all the time" about the authenticity or legality of content.
Struan Robertson, a Senior Associate at Pinsent Masons, says: As soon as you begin checking the content on your site, you become liable for that content. I don't know if they take the same approach as they did last year, but the Guardian and Times looked at this differently..." on the Times the content was moderated whereas on the Guardian it went live instantly. According to the speaker, the moderated content approach has increased legal risks (Although there is certainly some truth in this, I'm not sure I fully subscribe to this view - see my Law blog).
A member of the audience, who identifies himself as being from Reuters, asks if there will "be a big blow out defamation case involving bloggers in the UK.."
Struan Robertson: Workplace blogging can lead to problems. "We talk to a lot of companies before they start writing blogging guidelines for their staff... I don't think we'll see some massive event. As blogging grows, it will mature..." It's not the law that most companies thinking of getting into blogging should worry about, it's that most of them are rubbish. "I don't think the legal issues will be the death of blogs by any means."
Another member of the audience wants to know the legal implications of having staff blog stuff.
Struan Robertson: The problem you run when you let your staff blog is that you are inextricably linked to them... if they say something defamatory, it's quite likely that your company gets sued rather than them being sued... I don't think every post should go through the legal department. But what to do is to set up some sort of guidelines. Firstly, on when they should be blogging. Will that be their job.... a blog can take over hours of the day, you don't want the other things to suffer...." They need to understand copyright law, or be posting confidential information. "The kind of things they might right, they might crack jokes that are racial harrassment or sexual harrassment... defaming other companies, defaming other people... you don't want to give out tips on who your company might be buying because then you'd have insider dealing... it should be [the guidelines] written in understandable English..." He suggests a buddy system can be useful.
Euan Semple: Talks about the way the BBC blogging policy was created via a Wiki where bloggers and Editorial Policy and the Legal Department could all see and contribute to the policy which had the added benefits of bloggers buying into the end result.
Say Hi to Euan for me! Sounds like one of the more useful conferences....
Posted by: Richard Sambrook | 04 April 2007 at 09:23 PM
A bit too businessey for me but, yes, still useful. I've got to stop this blogging conferences malarky though - my hands still hurt from Geneva last week!
Posted by: Robin Hamman | 05 April 2007 at 10:59 AM