51 replies to this topic

[bloviatrix]

Last week one of the local papers printed an article regarding the existence, or lack thereof, of good kosher pizza. The writer mentioned that as part of her research she posted the question on Chowhound and proceeded to quote several of the posters, identifying them by their screen names. Nowhere in her initial post does she identify herself as a journalist nor does she reveal her intentions (by comparison here is recent request that appeared on MF). Additionally, this is the only time she has posted on the board.

This article has really angered me as I feel she engaged in unethical behavior. My experience is that if a journalist is doing research on a board they identify themselves and ask if they can contact some of the posters for possible inclusion in the article. I feel it's inappropriate to quote someone without their permission, even if it is a pseudonym. Am I overreacting? Do you think this is violation of board etiquette or journalistic ethics?

[SFJoe]

Last week one of the local papers printed an article regarding the existence, or lack thereof, of good kosher pizza. The writer mentioned that as part of her research she posted the question on Chowhound and proceeded to quote several of the posters, identifying them by their screen names. Nowhere in her initial post does she identify herself as a journalist nor does she reveal her intentions (by comparison here is recent request that appeared on MF). Additionally, this is the only time she has posted on the board.

This article has really angered me as I feel she engaged in unethical behavior. My experience is that if a journalist is doing research on a board they identify themselves and ask if they can contact some of the posters for possible inclusion in the article. I feel it's inappropriate to quote someone without their permission, even if it is a pseudonym. Am I overreacting? Do you think this is violation of board etiquette or journalistic ethics?

You have a strong point, but anyone posting on an Internet board should appreciate that they aren't doing so in private.

The reporter should be spanked, though.

[balex]

There is something slightly bizarre about having the words "etiquette" and "journalist" in the same phrase.

[Rail Paul]

Our Guidelines reference an interest in respecting individual privacy rights in G-8, but a prohibition against mining a contributor's content isn't stated.

eG had a similar discussion a few years ago over the issue of who owns the future use of reviews and other user supplied content. Some people argued the use of a clearly defined "reporting name" had economic value to the user, while others felt the publication on eG constituted a transfer of copyright.


Guidelines

[Orik]

I guess the reason why the kosher board feels that way is that they're used to talking to insiders and express their views openly. Should they have known this was for an article, they would have been a lot more apologetic about the quality of kosher pizza, as is customary in some traditions.

But journalists have been known to do a lot worse by their sources than that.

[galleygirl]

NO matter what the subject, I feel duped into doing someone else's research when a journalist doesn't reveal, in their inquiry, what they're using the info for. I have no problem about being quoted without permission (it is in a public forum, after all,) but I hate someone else getting paid for exploiting my knowledge (using the term loosely, of course...)

[Rail Paul]

NO matter what the subject, I feel duped into doing someone else's research when a journalist doesn't reveal, in their inquiry, what they're using the info for. I have no problem about being quoted without permission (it is in a public forum, after all,) but I hate someone else getting paid for exploiting my knowledge (using the term loosely, of course...)

For a while, MF admins had a stock warning included in the new member e-mail, asking the new member to disclose if they were a restrateur, journalist, etc and put that in their sig line if they were offering / seeking comments related to their work.

I don't know if that's still the case.

[galleygirl]

NO matter what the subject, I feel duped into doing someone else's research when a journalist doesn't reveal, in their inquiry, what they're using the info for. I have no problem about being quoted without permission (it is in a public forum, after all,) but I hate someone else getting paid for exploiting my knowledge (using the term loosely, of course...)

For a while, MF admins had a stock warning included in the new member e-mail, asking the new member to disclose if they were a restrateur, journalist, etc and put that in their sig line if they were offering / seeking comments related to their work.

I don't know if that's still the case.

Certainly a good idea..It's nice to be informed, then you can decide whether or not you want to be someone's unpaid research assistant...

[rancho_gordo]

NO matter what the subject, I feel duped into doing someone else's research when a journalist doesn't reveal, in their inquiry, what they're using the info for. I have no problem about being quoted without permission (it is in a public forum, after all,) but I hate someone else getting paid for exploiting my knowledge (using the term loosely, of course...)

For a while, MF admins had a stock warning included in the new member e-mail, asking the new member to disclose if they were a restrateur, journalist, etc and put that in their sig line if they were offering / seeking comments related to their work.

I don't know if that's still the case.

Certainly a good idea..It's nice to be informed, then you can decide whether or not you want to be someone's unpaid research assistant...

I remember this happeing at EG and it was odd to see folks falling all over themselves in order to participate. And it often seemed like the "writer" had a POV he wanted to support rather than find out any kind of consenus.

I seem to get asked to participate in polls a lot. Maybe they're really ads in disguise but I never do them anyway. I ask how much I'll be getting paid and they always look flustered. "But you're getting paid, right? I'm the one who will be providing you with information and content. It seems like I'm the one who should be compensated."

[Steve R.]

I guess that this is as good a time as any to mention that I only joined MF as research for my doctorial dissertation on "Interpersonal Relationships on Food Boards: How the Internet Helps Everyone Get Along". However, as a result of my membership here, I've since dropped out of the program and will be publishing it as a work of fiction (the board governance chapter is being considered for a sitcom as well). Does this mean that I can't use postings verbatim as dialogue?

[StephanieL]

Years ago, when I posted on the Straphangers subway board, I saw a post by Randy Kennedy (who used to write the subway column in the Times) asking for opinions on a bit of subway etiquette. My response made it into his article, which made it into print.

[Russ Parsons]

interesting topic, in that navel-gazing way we journalists are so fond of (at least in the US)!

It can be a little touchy being a member of an on-line community and also being a journalist that covers the topic of interest of that online community. I've been involved in food boards since the late '80s when i edited Prodigy's food contributors and i have to say that i can remember less than a half-dozen times that i've quoted someone from a food board. much more common for me is to see a question or a comment that spurs a story idea that may or may not be directly related to the original question or comment.

but for the record, as a matter of personal practice, if i were to ask a question for an article, I would disclose that I was asking it for an article. on the other hand, if i'm working on a story that has been covered by a past topic, i would have no problem quoting someone's public post, though i think i would probably try to contact the poster to let them know and check and see whether the quote was accurate and still reflected their thinking. but maybe not.

to me, i don't see any difference in quoting from a public board and quoting from a published article or book.

[jbh]

It can be a little touchy being a member of an on-line community and also being a journalist that covers the topic of interest of that online community.

I think a proper application of journalistic ethics is that the poster identify himself as a journalist, effectively giving notice that the content of posts may be used and/or quoted without specifically asking permission to use individual items.

If the journalist initiates a thread for a story, IMHO it would be appropriate to clearly state such. I think the right thing to do would also be to contact each person to be quoted, not so much as to ask permission but to be sure the quote is correct and the context is understood.

---
jbh

[Rail Paul]

I guess that this is as good a time as any to mention that I only joined MF as research for my doctorial dissertation on "Interpersonal Relationships on Food Boards: How the Internet Helps Everyone Get Along". However, as a result of my membership here, I've since dropped out of the program and will be publishing it as a work of fiction (the board governance chapter is being considered for a sitcom as well). Does this mean that I can't use postings verbatim as dialogue?

The admin experience really had an impact on you, huh?

[bloviatrix]

NO matter what the subject, I feel duped into doing someone else's research when a journalist doesn't reveal, in their inquiry, what they're using the info for. I have no problem about being quoted without permission (it is in a public forum, after all,) but I hate someone else getting paid for exploiting my knowledge (using the term loosely, of course...)

I think you've hit it on the head - it feels as if the writer is being lazy.