International Law

Be careful

The Guardian reports on a cautious but understandable new BBC policy:

BBC editorial staff have been told to be cautious over the use of photos from social networking websites, saying the practice raises a number of legal and ethical issues.

The BBC does not yet have a fixed policy on content from social networking sites, but an update for editorial staff and producers sent on Friday and seen by MediaGuardian.co.uk warned that just because pictures are easily available, it should not remove the "responsibility to assess the sensitivities in using it".

"Simply because material may have been put into the public domain may not always give the media the right to exploit its existence. The use of a picture by the BBC brings material to a much wider public than a personal website that would only be found with very specific search criteria," the
email said.

"Consideration should be given to the context in which it was originally published including the intended audience."

Editorial staff were told that they need to consider the original context of photos and how their use might impact grieving or distressed friends and relatives. Photos also need to be verified before use.

There are further concerns around copyright of photographs copied and pasted from the web, which may belong to either the host site or one of its users.

Read more here.

Full post as published by Freedom to Differ on February 11, 2008 (boomark / email).