Social Responsibility in Information Dissemination

The title "Social Responsibility in Information Dissemination in the New Media" sounds like quite a handful. Here's a quick introductory video to explain it simply:

What It Is

(Try playing in full-screen to see the text)



Social responsibility in this case entails making sure that any information you spread through new media, such as MSN Messenger, Facebook, Twitter or blogs, is accurate and true, for the good of society.

Why It's Important

Repeating false information in real life has never had much of a consequence, after all, the spoken word holds little permanence.

But with new media, whatever is published has its place on the web for anyone to see at any time.

And Tweets on Twitter, among other aspects of the new media,are already being used in legal cases to prove things like conflict and innocence.

Take the article "Tweets as court evidence", printed on page 29 of the 13 Jan, 2010 edition of TODAY newspaper, and reprinted here, as an example of how even the smallest and slightest comments in the new media could come back to bite you.

Practicing social responsibility helps safeguard against this.

The Singapore law, in this case the Defamation Act, located here under D, states that anything broadcast to the public by means of telecommunication applies to the Defamation Act.

It also defines "telecommunication" as any system for the transmission, emission or reception of signs, signals, writings, images and sounds of all kinds by means of radiowaves, wire, cable or other electro-magnetic systems.

This means that anything posted on new media sites like Facebook or Twitter can be charged under the Defamation Act.

This liability, and the fact that the use of new media is so prevalent these days, means that social responsibility in information dissemination is now, more important than ever before.

How It Could Affect You

Imagine you heard a rumour that a local, high-profile politician had died. You repeat the rumour on various new media outlets, including your Facebook feed and on your personal blog.

The politician, who happens to be alive, can sue you under the Defamation Act for posting false comments about him online.

Without using social responsibility, you would be spreading unsubstantiated rumours and falsehoods about members of society.

However, if you had practiced social responsibility in information dissemination, and checked whether the information was accurate before repeating it, the scenario could have been avoided.

Before posting any information which seems sensational or breaking news, always THINK BEFORE YOU POST. Check reputable sources to see if they're reporting the same news. If no one else is saying the same thing, the news may be false.

By practicing social responsibility in information dissemination, we can make the new media society a credible place.

DISCUSSION

Here are some thinking questions to get the discussion underway. Feel free to comment freely!

Do you think social responsibility in information dissemination is important?

Are there any disadvantages in practicing this?

Does this make places like Facebook too regulated, rather than a spontaneous place where people can share anything?

If you can't comment on the main page, try clicking on the post title and commenting there. Thanks!