The News & Observer in Raliegh, N.C, recently published comments residents had posted to a Yahoo Web site about a local controversy surrounding a night club. The papers published three messages posted to the site, along with the authors' names.
It poses the question: Is it right for the newspaper to user personal information posted on the Internet? A growing number of people use the Internet as a way to communicate, especially through user groups and other forums.
Should a newspaper establish standards or "best practices" regarding how it uses the Internet as a reporting tool? Should there be different standards when the online research leads to private citizens?
The Internet is commonly considered a public domain and the items posted to the Yahoo! message board were easy to find.
In publishing the comments, the editors and reporters forgot the first rule of reporting. Verify the facts. Did the reporters take the time to ensure that the posts were actually posted by authors? Could they have been posted by someone posing as the authors?
Fairness and accuracy are the foundations of good reporting. Newspapers should inform private citizens if their Internet posts are going to become part of a news story. It will help maintain a reputation for solid journalism practices.
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