Social Media Ethics

The change in social relationships and networks that new technology has brought has also altered the way in which journalists are perceived by the public. This has put journalistic practice under far greater scrutiny. In addition, the ways in which private life is increasingly on display on the internet has meant that journalists have a greater resource of material to gather and use in stories, but also a far greater obligation to ensure that they use this material both fairly and ethically. This chapter deals with the fair use of content and information, and with the ethics of participating in these new social spaces as journalists and as people. Open journalism is also discussed, as an ideological stance and, to a lesser extent, as a practice.

A new book by Clifford Christians is always a celebration. Christians has contributed to the field of media ethics more than any other scholar I know. In this book, Christians explores the fundamentals of ethics and justice in moral theory. In addition to “the usual suspects”, i.e., Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, Rene Descartes, John Stuart Mill, Auguste Comte, and Max Weber, Christians explores modern liberal philosophy, feminist philosophy, African philosophy, Latin American liberation theology, Confucianism, and Islam. He does this in his usual dazzling and most comprehensive style, exhibiting wide knowledge of the literature and brilliant analysis that adds layers upon layers of sharp insights. As in his previous books, Christians invokes an ethics of care and humanity in order to alleviate poverty, homelessness, and unemployment, issues that trouble Western and non-Western societies albeit in different degrees. The media have an important role to play in setting the agenda, in bringing these concerns to public awareness, and in help redressing historical and societal injustices.

This paper will explore the ethical implications surrounding individual engagement with social media. There will be engagement from two different ethical methodologies for this particular issue: narrative ethics and the Sermon on the Mount. Technology has been growing at such a pace that we are outmatched and far behind when it comes to understanding the ethical implications for engaging with it, especially when it comes to websites like Facebook, Twitter and even Google. To begin to engage with the complexities we first need to understand who we are. This is because in the world we live in today, social media tends to influence everything about us and we may not even notice day by day. What does it mean to engage this issue from a strictly Christian ethical stance? First we need to sketch out the nature of technology today, then an engagement with two prominent Christian ethical methodologies.

Investigations of the moral consequences of socialbots typically involve asking about the influence these mechanisms have on human users and the effect of this influence on the construction of human sociality. This chapter seeks to develop a more fundamental mode of moral inquiry that grapples with other questions—questions concerning who or what can or should be considered “Other” in social relationships and communicative exchange. Toward this end, the chapter investigates both sides of the ethical relationship—moral agency and moral patiency—in an effort to develop a more nuanced  understanding of the social challenges and opportunities of bots.

Twitter is a common tool in the hacktivism of Anonymous operatives seeking to reduce the amount of evil in the world. This chapter examines two Anonymous operations to elucidate the uncertain terrain of Twitter ethics: "OpAntiBully," a concerted effort to harass and shame alleged online bullies, and "OpPedoFear," an operation to identify (through civilian online sting operations) and publicly shame putative pedophiles. These two cases are interesting for those studying communication ethics because they take advantage of Twitter’s incredibly responsive and interconnected forms of communication. Furthermore, both cases employ “ doxing ” (d0xing), the revealing of private identifying information of online selves that are accused of nefarious online and offline conduct, as a means for pursuing offline revenge.

With rising numbers of Facebook, Twitter and
MXit users, Africa is increasingly gaining prominence in
the sphere of social networking. Social media is increasingly
becoming main stream; serving as important tools for
facilitating interpersonal communication, business and
educational activities. Qualitative analyses of relevant
secondary data show that children and youths aged
between 13 and 30 constitute Africa’s heaviest users of
social media. Media reports have revealed cases of abuse
on social media by youths. Social networks have severally
been used as tools for perpetuating crimes such as; cyberbullying
and violence against girls and women. This
study proposes a ‘Culture-centered Approach’ to the use of
social media in a bid to minimize these cybercrimes and
encourage the responsible use of social media amongst
African youths. The Culture-centered Approach, which
incorporates the tenets of Information Ethics, stresses the
need for the respect of the dignity and rights of other online
users as well the application of good cultural values and
ethical behavior while on social media platforms.

Keywords: Social networking,  Cyberbullying 
Cyber violence,  Culture-centered approach

*Winner of:
(1) Top Journal Article of the Year Award from the Communication Ethics Division of the National Communication Association (2014).
(2) the Ellen A. Wartella Distinguished Research Award from the Moody College of Communication, University of Texas at Austin (2014)* 

This study seeks to understand and critique the growing online trend of “revenge porn,” or the intentional embarrassment of identifiable individuals through the posting of nude images online.
This posting of intimate pictures, often done out of motives of revenge for perceived relational scorn, is enhanced by the varying levels of online anonymity. Using the theoretical framework of John Dewey’s pragmatism, this study both analyzes this understudied but complex new problem precipitated by the conditions of the online self and establishes the groundwork for the use of pragmatist ethics in other areas of communication ethics.

This chapter examines the putatively simple concepts of "revenge porn" and "nonconsensual pornography" to argue that these are really complex online phenomena. While partisan narratives tend to see them as simple and unified occurrences, we demonstrate the variations of revenge porn posting behaviors.  Using this novel analysis as a foundation, we discuss a series of revenge porn posting cases to demonstrate the complex nature of consent in the world of online content sharing.

The last two decades have witnessed a rapid transformation of traditional media into new media that encompasses digital, computerized, and networked information and communication technologies. This shift has raised concerns and discussions around the positive and negative implications of the new media, and other issues such as: control of information, volume and speed of communication, Habermasian democratic public sphere, and the global influence of media conglomerates. Marshall McLuhan's theoretical research on communication technologies has enriched the historical understanding of social change. He argued that the dominant medium in a given time relatively shaped the way we perceived and understood the world around it; hence, we cannot understand a given technological experience without studying its social setting.

The transatlantic field of global media ethics is premised on a search for the conceptual foundations of plurality. This article is a critique of this very endeavor. I offer this critique through works authored by moral anthropologists of Islam and through a close reading of the Urdu text Cyberistan: Muslim Naujavan Aur Social Media (Cyberistan: Muslim Youth and Social Media) authored by Sadatullah Husaini, the current president of the Indian reformist Islamic organization Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. My article is a post-foundational critique of the implicit foundationalism through which "Islam" and "plurality" are related to each other within inquiries into the ethics of digital communication. I take on digital communication because of its increasingly global and synchronic nature that rendered questions concerning plurality in media ethics particularly urgent. I argue that even though it is important to ask what difference means conceptually for a global media ethics today, it can only make space for radical plurality via the negative, by way of its contradictions and structural constraints. If a global media ethics is supposed to be based on openness and plurality, it can be so only by limiting and weakening its own ontological claimsbeyond positive metaphysical groundings, cultures, civilizations, Islam, etc. In other words, it requires a reflexivity to its own position as an academic discipline that produces knowledge under certain historical conditions and an understanding of its own political practice.

The attempt to establish a unified taxonomy for the field of Information Ethics is both unattainable and unwarranted. The categorization of Information Ethics as a defined discipline, an applicable practice, a philosophy and a worldview remains constantly in flux due to, what Luciano Floridi terms, ‘philosophical naturalism’. As such, a broadening understanding of the field will only serve to further collapse categorization. The following paper will outline, using a discourse analysis methodology, how the nature of the field of Information Ethics at a foundational level must necessarily defy classification. The assumptions behind the current classifications of the field will be questioned. Beginning with the history of the inception of the field through Librarianship and Cybernetics and questioning the yet unresolved ontological debates between information philosophers such as Rafael Capurro and Floridi, this paper will explicate how any such attempt to develop an agreed upon taxonomy will and should always remain incomplete.

Perceiving social media activity as performance, the traditional approach to social media studies, explains a series of motives behind such activities: the construction of an online persona, the use of the medium as a stage for this construction and the role of others in the spectacle (both as actors and audience). It does not encompass, however, the textual aspect of it. On the other hand, an authorship approach to the topic could help us to understand the actual tools for the construction of goffmanean’s character or persona. With Goffman’s approach it is possible to answer questions regarding the motivation for writing in social media. Finally, Foucault’s ideas on the very act of writing in ancient Greco-Roman society will help to understand the effects of writing in that society. Combining these fields, an interdisciplinary approach hopefully may shed light on the purposes and consequences of writing in social media.

This paper will discuss social media technology in the context of social work education. While social media technology is prevalent in social work education, most discourse about ethical use of social media in the classroom has taken a prescriptive and overly cautious approach that neglects the context dependent nature that social work educators teach in as well as the overwhelmingly positive potential of social media technology in the classroom. This paper utilizes social constructivist theory and the Competing Values framework to guide the development of an ethical decision making framework for social work educators to use in order to create dynamic classroom policies related to social media technology. The authors strive to make a modest contribution to the existing literature related to social media technology and social work through the development of this new ethical decision making framework and discourse related to social media technology, ethics, and social work education.

The contemporary world is characterised by the pervasive presence of digital technologies that play a part in almost every aspect of our life. An urgent and much-debated issue consists in evaluating the repercussions of these technologies on our human condition. In this paper, I tackle this issue from the standpoint of Husserlian phenomenology. I argue that phenomenology offers a contribution to our understanding of the implications of digital technologies, in the light of its analysis of the essential structures of human experience, and especially of its corporeal grounding. In the light of this analysis, it is possible to investigate the ways in which these essential structures are affected by digital technologies. In particular, it is possible to highlight the ways in which some digital technologies involve a process of disembodiment or simply a superficial embodiment of experience.

Did Pepsi go too far in using protest images to sell its soda in the midst of nationwide turmoil? A case study on the controversial Pepsi ad that featured Kendall Jenner. Authored by Urub Khawaja & Scott R. Stroud. More case studies at www.mediaethicsinitiative.org

Communities, created rules in accordance with their values which are qualified to cover
all areas of social life. These rules which may be written or verbal according to the area that they
cater to, is of great importance in the context of shaping both the social structure and social
institutions. As in all areas of social life, the applications of business and professional life is
carried out in accordance with certain rules, too. These rules,majority of them are unwritten,
organise performing of the occupation by professionals in a particular internal discipline. In this
regard, media has also ıts own ,social and universal application rules.Thanks to the developing
electronic and visual communication technologies, media has increased ıts impact on the people,
immensely. This power of the media has revealed a number of concomitant ethical and audit
issues. This study reveals the concept of media ethics and regulations in this direction, by
addressing the issue of violation of private life which may be the most important one among the
general ethical rules that members of the media should consider while doing professional practice.

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Toplumlar, sahip oldukları değerler doğrultusunda sosyal yaşamın tüm alanlarını
kapsayacak nitelikte kurallar oluşturmuşlardır. Hitap ettiği alana göre yazılı ya da sözlü olabilen
bu kurallar, hem toplumsal yapıyı hem de toplumsal kurumları şekillendirme bağlamında büyük
önem taşır. Sosyal hayatın her alanında olduğu gibi iş ve meslek yaşamına ait uygulamalar da
belirli kurallar doğrultusunda gerçekleştirilir. Çoğunluğu yazılı olmayan bu kurallar, mesleğin,
meslek mensupları tarafından belirli bir iç disiplin içerisinde gerçekleştirmesini düzenler. Bu
bağlamda, medyanın da kendine ait toplumsal ve evrensel bir takım uygulama kuralları söz
konusudur. Gelişen elektronik ve görsel iletişim teknolojileri sayesinde medya, insanlar üzerindeki
etkisini son derece artırmıştır. Medyanın sahip olduğu bu güç, beraberinde bir takım etik ve
denetim sorunlarını ortaya çıkarmıştır. Bu çalışma, medya etiği kavramı ve medya mensuplarının
mesleki uygulama yaparken dikkate almaları gereken genel etik kurallardan bekli de en önemlisi
olan, özel yaşam ihlali konusunu ele alarak bu doğrultudaki düzenlemeleri ortaya koymaktadır.

LinkedIn is currently the largest social networking site for professionals. Be it a fresher, a start-up, a small business owner, or a CEO, everyone who aims to grow professionally is on LinkedIn. 

In this article, you’ll discover the best ways to do your personal branding on LinkedIn. Read on to learn more about LinkedIn marketing

استهدفت الدراسة استكشاف مدى الحماية التي توفرها مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي للحق في الخصوصية، بالتطبيق على موقعي فيسبوك وانستجرام، وذلك عبر التحليل الكيفي لمضمون سياسة الخصوصية على الموقعين عينة الدراسة. وقد كشفت النتائج عن التزام إدارة موقعي فيسبوك وانستجرام -في سياسة الخصوصية على موقعهما- بإعلام المستخدمين بأنواع المعلومات التي تجمعها عنهم، وأوجه استخدامهم لتلك المعلومات، وكيفية مشاركتها مع الآخرين، فضلاً عن حق المستخدمين في التحكم في المعلومات التي تجمعها عنهم.

As the most recent high-profile instances of terrorist attacks in Colombo and Christchurch yield, the internet and social media have become effective tools for exploitation by extremist groups for disseminating radical content, poisoning young minds, and recruiting people for their cause. With one of the fastest growth rates of internet users globally, Bangladesh faces an imminent threat of youth radicalization and recruitment through online channels. In fact, four of the perpetrators of the tragic Holey Artisan Bakery attack were reported to have been radicalized online. Given this context, this CES Current Event Analysis report presents salient findings from a larger ongoing research project on the social media and radicalization of university students in Bangladesh.

This chapter is grounded in the notion that “doing the right thing” is an outcome of rhetorically powerful tangles of human and non-human elements, embedded in deep—often invisible—structures of software, politics, and habits. Every action we take as individuals—whether designers, programmers, marketers, researchers, policy makers or consumers—reinforces, resists, and reconfigures existing ethical boundaries for what is acceptable and just; in other words, ‘produses’ ethics. I explore four recent public examples to illustrate the power of discourse to shape how we think and respond to everyday technologies. I then make a case for taking proactive stances toward creating better digital futures rather than just letting the future happen to us. As we grow more technologically mediated and digitally saturated, it is particularly important to take ownership of the tough questions, which will allow us to develop our ethical (moral) capacities (sensibilities) to address rising issues of humanity and justice that challenge current legal and regulatory frameworks.

As media evolve into channels for networked,digital and dialogic journalism, the scope
for regulation and scrutiny of professional conduct has extended from news articles and features
to formal and informal social media communication.
Social media behaviours include tweets, updates, comments, likes, blogs and uploads of user-generated
content (UGC). Use of social media networks (SMNs) broadens the mediascape, muddies notions of
journalistic identity and increases mutual dependence between traditional journalists and the people
formerly known as the audience.

The Democratic "Catch" is an interdisciplinary study in the fields of communication, law and ethics. It is concerned with the public right to know, and the costs of freedom of expression. Rights are costly, and someone must pay for them. We can and should ask about the justification for bearing the costs, weighing them against the harms inflicted upon society as a result of a wide scope of liberty and tolerance. While recognizing that we have the need to express ourselves, we should also inquire about the justifications for tolerating the damaging speech and whether these are weighty enough.

This book combines theory and practice, examining issues of contention from philosophical, legal and media perspectives and covers such issues as:

•        Objectivity in the media
•        media invasion into one’s privacy
•        offensive speech
•        incitement and hate speech
•        media coverage of terrorism
•        The Ombudsman
•        Press Councils

The increase in social networking media, online and distance counseling, and the ubiquitous use of laptops, hand-held devices, and internet connected devices at home and in work settings have resulted in the need for ethical standards to help guide rehabilitation professionals in service delivery. In response, the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) has incorporated Section J: Technology and Distance Counseling into the CRCC Code of Ethics. Additionally, the CRCC released a social media policy on their website. However, specific ethical standards addressing the use of social media have not been implemented. The purpose of this manuscript is to address potential issues that can arise in interacting with clients through social media. Specifically, we will discuss the following areas: (1) digital immigrants and natives, (2) social media mechanics, (3) advantages of using social media, (4) disadvantages of using social media, (5) social media and the CRCC Code of...

The digitalization of audiovisual communication demands a new working framework where the legislation has a limited function and self-regulation is presented as a system, which, for the moment, cannot cover the shortcomings of regulation. Basic objectives such as the protection of minors require new formulas which can deal with this new situation. Thus, the recently passed 'Audiovisual Media Services Directive' in the European Union, which brings together the current European contributions and studies, supports the introduction of new mechanisms such as the co-regulation, the establishment of which in countries like the Netherlands calls for in-depth analysis of this new legislative technique.

Users of social media tend to take information from various sources to be shared in social media. They share the information by copy & paste or by forwarding a message received from another party. Shared materials are either in the form of writing, pictures or video that consists of good information, altered or false information. Any shared material has the potential to become viral and caused a deep effect to the reader, individuals or communities. Users are using the term "sharing is caring" as an excuse to share whatever material as they please. However not all sharing is beneficial.

The digitalization of audiovisual communication demands a new working framework where the legislation has a limited function and self-regulation is presented as a system, which, for the moment, cannot cover the shortcomings of regulation. Basic objectives such as the protection of minors require new formulas which can deal with this new situation. Thus, the recently passed ‘Audiovisual Media Services Directive’ in the European Union, which brings together the current European contributions and studies, supports the introduction of new mechanisms such as the coregulation, the establishment of which in countries like the Netherlands calls for in-depth analysis of this new legislative technique.

Our online actions on social media sites can affect individuals and communities globally. This article explores the importance of applying our values and notions of ethical literacy, to the ways in which we communicate. Published in the Ismaili UK magazine, Winter 2012 edition.

Asked to serve in an ongoing position as Editor for the International Review of Information Ethics, I join a team of seven editors for IRIE. "The IRIE is the official journal of the International Center for Information Ethics (ICIE). It envisions an international as well as intercultural discussion focusing on the ethical impacts of information technology on human practices and thinking, social interaction, other areas of science and research and the society itself."