Here I thought blogs were safe. I thought bloggers were unstoppable and that the information that can be found on the Internet is meant to be used by everyone. It doesn’t matter if the information is a picture or block of text; as long as proper citation is used I thought everything was fair game. In my eyes it was the information super-highway of love where everyone shares and dances under cloudless skies with a glass of Moscato di Asti in hand. Maybe it was the bubbly drink getting to my head, but it never really occurred to me that there is an entire world of social media law.
Bloggers – the law applies to you too
Everything I have learned thus far in college has taught me that a writer is a watch dog. A journalist is someone that plays a pivotal part in the governmental process. Writers in the states are held to high standards as they play such an important role in the free speech process. How silly it was for me to not put two and two together. Obviously bloggers are writers and writers are held accountable for what they write. If a blogger writes something inappropriate about another person and it turns out the excerpt is completely false as well as damaging to that person’s reputation it is considered libel. It must be clearly proven that the case of libel actually caused damage to the person’s reputation, which can be a time consuming and costly measure.
It was only a matter of time before bloggers and other social media users came under attack with accusations of libel.
Here are a few sites with different libel suits dealing with social media, specifically blogs.
• Courts busy with libel suits
The libel laws not only apply to blogs, but to social networking sites such as Facebook. As public relations students we need to remember that everything we do is about reputation management. Facebook can be used as a branding tool and that brand needs to be maintained. Falsely accusing people of crimes does not help manage anyone’s reputation be it the accused or the accuser. Discussing the crime that is under investigation is not something I would recommend either. A case involving a former Purdue student illustrates the point well.
The photo controversy
You may have noticed that I did not include any photos in this post. It is a strategic move, a protest in a way, and me being cautious after reading how easy it is to get in trouble while blogging. Don’t worry, I am sure by next week I will include photographs again.
The site Directory Aviva, with a posting on Blogger Law opened my eyes. Before reading this I thought that linking to other blogs and articles was perfectly legal. Think again. Information must be credited, and violates some state laws if it is not cited properly. There is also controversy around how viewers get to the link. Some front door, back door counting methods are questioned with the ‘deep linking’ process.
Why tell this story?
Watch what you are posting. People really do read what you write. If it wasn’t put out there to be read don’t post it.
Always credit the source of the information. If you didn’t think it up, don’t pass it off as your own.
Better to be safe than sorry, if what you are doing is questionable, think twice don’t do it.
I am not going to lie, this week has been busy. I am tired even after three cans of Diet Coke and four cups of coffee. My brain is not as quick as it usually is either. I really find this topic interesting and want to research it more. Check back later in the week for an update and more information on this topic. Until then - happy research.
