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!
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Hi Shea,
ReplyDeleteI never knew that re-posting something false could end up being such a huge issue that a person can actually be sued! I'm rather shocked by the gravity of it and I feel that it does in a way, scare people into thinking twice before they post anything on any new media platform.
Social responsibility is an important aspect of the new media and I think everyone should exercise it to protect not only themselves but other users as well.
Some of the disadvantages I feel, would be as you mentioned, making places like Facebook where there is practically free communication, a little too regulated. It prevents people from sharing spontaneous information for fear of being sued! But I guess there are the pros and cons of being socially responsible in this platform.
Jovita Chua 0704536B
Hi Shea,
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you showed us how the law applies to our new media practices! What with the convenience of new media it can be easy for users to forget about accountability.
Like Jovita, I think that social responsibility is definately important in cyberspace.
The definition of social responsibility, however, is interesting. "For the good of society" challenges us to think about our responsibility to cyber-users as a whole. For example, if I worked for an online company and discovered that my boss had exaggerated a product description, I'd have the responsibility to report him for the good of cyber-shoppers - even if it meant breaking my employee's responsibility of loyalty to my boss.
I think this is one disadvantage of practicing social responsibility either online or offline: you sometimes have to break your responsibility to one person for the good of society. This would bring negative consequences like, (going back to my previous example), my boss firing me.
If online users practiced social responsibility both in regulating their practices and those of others - new media platforms will definately be more, and maybe even too regulated.
Aubrey
0706227F
Hi Shea,
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, I did not know that one can be sued if they post false information online. Having such a law will cause the people to check if the information is true before posting it on the internet and spreading the news.
I think that social responsibility in information dissemination should be practiced by because you are responsible for what you have post on the internet.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI feel that there should be social responsibility when sharing information, as we do not want to convey the wrong message to the other party, which sometimes may lead to undesirable outcome.
However, it really restrict people to post out information or their thoughts freely for the fear of being sued.
Fiona Soh
0800748F
Hi Shea! Wow, I never realized that even if you heard a news somewhere and posted it on FB/Twitter/MSN nick, you could get sued for defamation! I'd always thought that as a web user, these kinda rumours are everywhere on various tabloid sites, and you'll be at liberty to post your opinions/views for your friends or whoever wants to see it. Guess not huh!
ReplyDeleteSharon
0805656F
Hi Shea
ReplyDeleteI guess our liberty takes a hit, then. I always thought that we were free to post whatever we wanted online, since it wasn't meant for people other than our friends to see. This sucks..
Hey guys, thanks for commenting.
ReplyDeleteJovitac: I agree that it does make Facebook a bit less appealing, because it becomes something regulated rather than just a freeform place where everyone can express what they want.
Aubrey: Well, that's what social responsibility is - responsibility to society, rather than to any single individual. What's important then is to decide whether social responsibility or responsibility to any one person is more important to you.
Weiren: Yes, it is all in theory but it is possible to be sued for wrong comments.
Fiona: Yup, it is a fine line between being able to share information freely and having to regulate everything.
ReplyDeleteSharon: Well, the owners of those blogs and sites are liable to be sued as well, it's just up to the individual who is the subject of the gossip to go after who he wants to.
Mark: Yeah dude, maybe on protected sites you have more security, like Facebook privacy settings that ensure only your friends can see your updates. But you never know who could be lurking.
Question: Does anyone know of any other real life ways that social responsibility can impact you?
Hi Shea,
ReplyDeleteI agree that social responsibility in information dissemination is important, like example given in the video, we are believed in what our friends saying, so if a person get inaccurate information and spread it out, maybe some people would suffer from the information that given.E.g. we need to pay for exam fees after registration of o level exam, if a person has no time to check and her/his friend tells him/her a wrong time, then he/she will miss the time to take exam.
So, it is good to double check or refer to some government websites to confirm the reality before we spread the information.
0906481G
Li MengYing:D
Freedom cannot be separated from responsibility, or else the outcome might be chaos. While new media affords all, or most, to have the inidvidual freedom to express themselves on various platforms, we should also exercise caution and be socially responsible in the ideas that we express.
ReplyDeleteI don't think new media should be overly regulated but trusting that all new media users have the maturity and sense of responsiblity to self-regulate, to me, is naive. The issue is how far such external regulatory force should go.
Hey Shea,
ReplyDeleteWow, I don't know that by posting something that is untrue or unwise may lead to serious issue. Although it is our own profile,we should be wise before posting anything. Now I understand why Social Networking Responsibilities are important.
However, this has always been an issue when people always says "This is my wall, my profile, so I can so and say what ever I like."
Nur Syabrina
0900355I
Hi Shea,
ReplyDeleteWe should encourage new media consumers to become familiar with discerning credible information from irresponsible dissemination on top of regulating the latter.
With this two-pronged approach, new media producers would be motivated to exercise social responsibility so as to gain their readers' trust and keep them coming back.
Tan Su Yi Kay 0703121D T04
Hi Shea,
ReplyDeleteIt's true that we should decide whether social responsibility or other responsibilities take priority, and I think this should be done on a case by case basis.
In real-life or even through the new media, social responsibility can cause your relationships to suffer. For example, spreading gossip about friends would cause you to lose the trust of other friends.
Aubrey
0706227F
Mengying: That's an interesting take on it. Just shows that there's much more to social responsibility in information dissemination than just the legal aspect.
ReplyDeleteSandra: I agree completely that trusting users to be responsible is naive. There always needs to be moderation to ensure that the ideals of a site aren't compromised by poor discussion. Perhaps moderators are required to tow a fine line between sharp moderation and heavy-handed censorship.
Syabrina: Yup, plenty of people have that mentality. However, I guess you could compare it with a person's house. You own it, the property is yours, but if you commit a crime, like murder, the law will intervene.
ReplyDeleteKay: That's true, and quite an interesting point. It's a shame that most people are gullible enough to believe anything that they read on the Internet. Look at the amount of people who have fallen victim to e-mail scams, like the Nigerian ones for instance.
Aubrey: There are plenty of uses for social responsibility in information dissemination. Perhaps it applies to more everyday examples, not just in new media, than we realise.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteYes I think that in this way Facebook will be too regulated instead of what it should be. It should be a place where you can say whatever you want to your friends. perhaps people should not let anyone to see their profile; only friends can view or something like this can avoid problems.
Siang Heng,
0800408G
Hey Shea,
ReplyDeleteIf I'm not wrong, I did read on cases online whereby people are being sued for making false informations.
I have to agree with you that social responsibility is an important quality that anyone should possess because the new media would indeed be a much secured environment.
So if people were to post information dissemination, they would have to think twice and consider whether the feelings of the people mentioned in their posts are going to be affected in a positive or negative way.
Farahin
0805286B
Shea,
ReplyDeleteDo you really have to bring Media Law into this? Seriously???
Anyway, okay in all seriousness, I agree that the false information on the internet can lead to a lot of trouble for the person who posted it. However, a simple 'I heard that...' or 'Is it true that..' or 'Maybe...' might help with the whole defamation thing.
Sure, it puts ideas into the person's mind who is reading that particular tweet or article. But the defendant can claim that it's a rumour, and not much harm will be done, right?
Also, this doesn't apply to internet-related items. Say a certain drunk someone accidentally spills secret information to a reporter who then publishes it on print, that will get them into trouble too, right?
Obviously social responsibility is important when it comes to talking about controversial issues, but whatever happened 'Freedom of Speech'? I guess everything has its limits.
Nice post, Shea. =)
Daphne-rae Lee, 0701588F
Hi Shea,
ReplyDeleteI think people who post informtion should be responsible for whatever they are posting. I think it is like lighting something that is flammable, once it is lighted it passes on and we cannot expect what the fire will be burning on.
When information being spread wrongly it will be like a rumour but once people takes it seriously then it may become trouble.
Wei Chong
0901463J
Siangheng: I agree that it may be a bit too regulated if we have to censor ourselves every time we want to post something. But for a healthy online space, I think it's essential.
ReplyDeleteFarahin: Yup, sometimes we post gossip or rumours about famous people without realising that they are still people. They have feelings and reputations as well, and if either is hurt, they could take action.
Daphne: Still fresh after the media law presentation so if I can still use the info, why not!
ReplyDeleteWei Chong: Yup, you never know how far the repercussions of a small rumour you spread could reach.
Sued for false information. Something new..
ReplyDelete0902851E
Mak Ann Wei