Human interaction is evolving fast and journalists are left facing a whole new set of ethical questions as the boundaries of private and public communication blur.

So it’s official: Twitter is public. One careless tweet could legitimately end up on the front page. But should we expect people to take responsibility for what they say on social networking sites or should personal conversations be just that – personal?

The Press Complaints Commission made the landmark ruling after Department for Transport employee, Sarah Baskerville, complained that the Daily Mail and Independent on Sunday had breached privacy guidelines. The newspapers had reported tweets by Baskerville in which she critised government policy and admitted to being hungover at work. Baskerville, who had around 700 Twitter followers, argued that she should have a “reasonable expectation” of privacy but the newspapers said the messages could be read by anyone and were in the public domain.

In this age of Google, Twitter, Facebook and Wikileaks, information is everywhere. One in ten people across the world now update their status on a social networking site every single day. Consumers are becoming more active and social. The way people interact is evolving. And journalists are people too – the way we gather information, the way we publish and the way we think – it’s all changing fast. This raises the question: Are journalism ethics stuck back in the pre-social-media dark ages?

The distinction between private and public spaces can be unclear at the best of times and journalists are often required to use their personal judgement. Should I quote my source even though we were speaking off the record? Should I agree to anonymity for my source? Can I use a photograph of someone having a picnic in the park? What about tapping my unsuspecting source’s phone…?

“[A journalist] does nothing to intrude into anybody’s private life, grief or distress unless justified by overriding consideration of the public interest,” says the NUJ. But ‘private’ is difficult to define in the traditional sense, and even more so in the case of social media.

No one seems to know what to do about this new phenomenon. Ofcom, the BBC and the PCC all agree that expectations of privacy may vary depending on the location, what is being said and how. This means that on some occasions public places can be considered private. The PCC says: “Private places are public or private property where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.” The code demands a degree of subjectivity. Can you reasonably expect privacy on a social networking site?

The BBC, on the other hand, says that people who are in public or semi-public places shouldn’t expect the same degree of privacy as “in their own homes or other sensitive locations”. They define a semi-public place as private property where the public have general access. Perhaps this is the closest we will get to defining social networking sites. “There may be circumstances where people can reasonably expect privacy even in a public or semi-public space, particularly when the activity or information being revealed is inherently private,” says the BBC. This may include personal conversations – but can a conversation be considered personal when you have 700 followers? The PCC didn’t think so.

Of the three, only the BBC actually mentions social media: “Although material [on social media and other websites] may be considered to have been placed in the public domain, re-use by the BBC will usually bring it to a much wider audience. We should consider the impact of our re-use, particularly when in connection with tragic or distressing events. There are also copyright considerations.”

Last year, Reuters issued a handbook for reporting from the internet. They make their stance on social media quite clear: “Discovering information publicly available on the web is fair game. Defeating passwords or other security methods is going too far.”

Social media sites may be public places but what is said is often very personal. Not everyone thinks like a journalist so we can’t expect the general public to be aware of laws or regulations. Don’t we, as journalists, have a duty to protect the vulnerable?

As the BBC pointed out, the re-use of information taken from social media will usually bring it to a much larger audience. If you are not expecting your words to be broadcast to the world, doing so would surely constitute an intrusion into your private life.

But social networking is designed to be shared. Others can view what you post. Tweets are free to be retweeted. Isn’t that why we do it?

Users have the option to make their social media accounts private, and private messaging is possible. When someone chooses not to use these options then surely they are aware that what they say is in the public domain. In that case, can’t we expect people to take responsibility for their actions?

Journalist and lecturer at the University of Glamorgan and City University London, Joni Alexander, thinks it’s not quite as straightforward as asking ‘public or private’. Social media is not just one tool but many, with different levels of privacy – and expectation of privacy – on each. She describes the difficulty in trying to discern if a person online is a child. “Quite a lot of social media don’t ask age, if they do it’s, ‘are you over 13’. And even then people can lie. Dealing with this comes down to the basic skills of journalism. Verify your source. Call people. Don’t publish it unless you’re convinced it’s true.” In other words, ‘virtual’ is just the same as ‘real-life’ and existing journalistic ethics apply.

The importance of social media is inescapable. Blogging culture emerged during the Gulf War when antiwar protestors used social media to form alliances, share ideas and organise actions, and 9/11 saw a huge increase in citizen journalism. Bloggers used text, video, audio and images to give first-hand accounts. Mainstream media incorporated this into their work, giving new depth of insight to the news. The recent uprisings in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt have been called ‘Twitter revolutions’ and, in Tokyo, 1200 tweets were sent every minute in the hour after the earthquake hit.

In recent years there has been a worrying concentration of the ownership of mainstream commercial media by conglomerates, bloated with money and influence – but the internet is not controlled by any one person or company. It showcases the full range of opinion.

Paul Bradshaw, journalist and lecturer at City University London and Birmingham City University, is described by UK Press Gazette as one of the country’s “most influential journalism bloggers”. He publishes the Online Journalism Blog and is the founder of investigative journalism crowdsourcing site, Help Me Investigate. In a Twitter interview he described how he uses social media for around 75 per cent of the articles that he writes. He believes it offers new ways to solve some of the age old problems in journalism – “too few voices, too narrow focus”.

So the question of privacy is murky when it comes to social media. We live more visible lives now than ever before. Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo and – whatever they dream up next – will continue to evolve and grow for the foreseeable future. The internet is the largest platform for free speech with the largest audience. Everyone has a voice, everyone can be heard. We are right to protect this gift and keep social media in the public domain. People make choices to broadcast their news but they may be choices they don’t fully understand. So a journalist should remember their ethics at all times: never assume, question everything. To ask ‘public or private’ may be more complicated than it seems, but an ethical journalist is always an ethical journalist. Whatever the medium.

The cafe aims to be a space for innovation and ideas for students with a view to working in online media to explore. The students will also have the chance to pick the brains of social media experts, discuss new media and journalism, and have a coffee or two. Organiser, Hannah Waldram, promises there won’t be any talks and no jargon.

This session will focus on mapping tools on the web, how to use maps to illustrate a story or blogpost, and how to find a solution to a problem using maps.

Cardiff Student Social Media Cafes may become a monthly project. For more information see the Eventbrite page.

Scroll down to chat with us online or use the hashtag #CSSMC on Twitter if you would like to join the conversation!

Hannah Waldram of the Guardian discussing mapping at the Cardiff Student Social Media Cafe

Glyn Mottershead, Cardiff University lecturer in Online Journalism, teaching students at the Cardiff Student Social Media Cafe

Published: Exposure Radio website, 27 January 2011

Coal tit by Genevieve Leaper (rspb-images.com)

The RSPB is asking the public to help them investigate garden bird numbers as part of the Big Garden Birdwatch – the world’s biggest wildlife survey.

RSPB Cymru believes that the early start to winter and the extremely low temperatures mean that an unusually high number of birds will be occupying our gardens.

Dr Sean Christian, RSPB Cymru Head of Conservation, says: “We expect more birds than ever to be recorded in Big Garden Birdwatch 2011, and maybe more unusual species than other years. The really cold weather began quite early in December, and this would have when been natural food sources became scarce.

“Birds that wouldn’t usually be found in gardens had to adapt their behaviour and look closer to home in our gardens. By now, these birds could have been making the most of our hospitality for over a month, meaning even more unusual sightings this weekend.”

The charity aims to provide useful data to study population trends. The RSPB has run the Big Garden Birdwatch for over 30 years and every year around 6 million birds are spotted in some 280,000 gardens. This has revealed a dramatic decline in some bird species – with more than half of the UK’s house sparrows and three quarters of starlings lost. These surveys aim to help aid species recovery.

Dana Thomas from RSPB Cymru, says: “Around Wales, people will be settling down in the warm, with a cup of tea and a pen, and noting what birds visit their garden for one hour. It really is that simple. And don’t worry if you’re not sure you know your song thrush from your starling – we provide descriptions and pictures on the form and on our website to help you figure it out. You will be making a valuable contribution to bird conservation.”

Newport Wetlands Reserve will be holding a Big Garden Birdwatch on 29 January

RSPB Cymru is hosting several events across Wales to help promote Big Garden Birdwatch. For further information and online resources to help you with your birdwatch, visit the RSPB website.

Published: Exposure Radio website, 28 January 2011

Published: Exposure Radio website, 3 February 2011

Cllr Nigel Howells and reporter Meg Rule at the opening of Roath Park's eco loo

Cllr Nigel Howells, Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture officially opened the eco-friendly toilet at Roath Park Lake this morning.

The building replaces the old toilet block, which was knocked down in March 2010. It is constructed of bricks that are made from 80% recycled wood. The structure was quick to erect and the materials won’t need to be maintained or replaced. The insulating properties of the toilet block will ensure it is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Inside there are motion-sensor lights and automatic water dispensers to reduce the amount of water used.

Roath Park has been a favourite with Cardiff residents and visitors a like since it was officially opened to the public in 1894. It now sees around 2.4 million visitors every year. In 2010 the park was awarded a Green Flag Award and this project is hoped to contribute to Roath Park’s submission for next year’s awards.

Roath Park eco loo building block

Cllr Howells said: “The project demonstrates Cardiff Council’s commitment to sustainable and environmentally green living, whilst aesthetically fitting in with the natural beauty of our parks.”

Cardiff is known for its abundance of green spaces and in 2008 Cardiff was named in the top five of Forum for the Future’s Sustainable Cities Index. However, the most recent study by Forum for the Future shows that it has since fallen to eleventh place.

Cllr Howells said: “We are looking to increase the amount of sustainable buildings we have by making improvements to existing buildings and we’ve been very successful. Over the last five years the amount of energy we’ve used in a range of council buildings has fallen by 15%. The amount of CO2 that these buildings belch out into the atmosphere has reduced by 18% as well.”

Listen again to Meg Rule’s report.

Published: Exposure Radio website, 11 February 2011

Speaking at the Communities and Culture Committee meeting on Thursday 17 February, Carl Sargeant Assembly Minister for Social Justice said: “Huge challenges are coming our way.”

The number of people coming forward to report domestic abuse has soared in recent years. In 2005 the Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline handled around 9000 calls – by 2008/9 this number had risen to 22,285. They now handle around 1500 calls every month.

Sargeant said: “I don’t think this is new – I think that people are more comfortable coming forward. I think this is just the tip of the iceberg… We are already seeing elements [of the effect of funding cuts] through changes in benefits, changes in policing and access to services – such as the closure of local courts.”

Hannah Austin, Policy Officer and Coordinator of Wales Violence Against Women Action Group for Welsh Women’s Aid said: ”It’s a massive worry for everybody – particularly as research suggests that domestic abuse may increase in difficult economic times. So we will be faced by increased demand for services, coupled with decreased capacity to provide services if these services are cut.” (Read the full interview with Hannah Austin)

In 2010 the Welsh Assembly Government published The Right to be Safe – a six year strategy to raise awareness about domestic abuse, reduce the stigma attached and encourage women to report the crimes they suffer. According to Sargeant, the benefits of the strategy can already be seen. However, the Equality and Human Rights Commission have highlighted a lack of services throughout the UK for abused women – and a postcode lottery.

Austin said: “The Welsh Assembly Government has announced that it will be protecting the Violence Against Women (VAW) budget for 2011-12, but many services have not yet had their funding confirmed and are expecting the worst. We would like to see the budget ring-fenced for VAW, as has been the case in Scotland for some time.”

Related article: What is domestic abuse?

Published: Exposure Radio website, 17 February 2011

Bored of searching the internet for jobs and filling out endless application forms? A group of unemployed musicians, writers and activists in South Wales have set up a monthly event that might just take your mind off your situation – the Unemployed Daytime Disco.

With unemployment in Wales on the rise for the third month in a row, competition for jobs is fierce. The Office for National Statistics recently revealed that from October to December 2010 there was an increase of 5,000 people out of work in Wales compared to the previous quarter. The Welsh rate of unemployment is 8.4% – 0.5% higher than the UK average.

Bronwen Davies is an artist, musician and organiser of the Unemployed Discos. She has been unemployed for two years after the project funding for her post as an Arts Development Officer came to an end.

She said: “It can very dispiriting for people who are looking for a job. This is a way for people to come together to enjoy and try to feel better about their situation. The disco can be a place to meet like-minded people, share ideas and knowledge, and dance like there is no future. Through press coverage we have helped raise awareness of unemployment issues and we hope to change perceptions of unemployed people.”

The disco features DJs, live music, spoken word, light shows and – of course – a dance floor. They aim to give a platform to performers who can work on their confidence and make use of their professional skills.

Davies said: “I was talking to a friend of mine, Adam Johannes, about how boring being out of work can be. There are so many people with creative talents who are not able to fulfill their potential – due to financial restraints, poverty and the general hopelessness and depression that comes when you can’t find a job. Adam joked about having a disco in the daytime and it all started from there.”

Today’s Unemployed Daytime Disco theme, I’m so bored of JSA, is the inspiration for the event that will feature punk band The Oppressed, composer and pianist Frances Crack, and a solo performance by musician Daffyd from the group Kilnaboy. There was also a charity shop selling records and an art workshop.

Adam Johannes, writer and organiser of the Unemployed Discos, said: “There are almost nine jobseekers for every job. Looking for non-existent jobs can be very boring. At the disco you can dance your recession blues away!”

For more information on the Unemployed Daytime Discos see their Facebook page.

Published: Exposure Radio website, 18 February 2011

Jim Mason, 76, of Radyr, was seriously injured last September when he tripped on the damaged pavement outside his home on De Clare Drive. He suffered a broken shoulder blade, a dislocated femur and needed surgery as a result. Now he can barely lift his right arm and suffers from long-term nerve damage in his shoulder.

Unsurfaced roads, unfinished pavements, and substandard drainage and lighting are just some of the problems associated with unadopted highways – roads that are not owned by the County Council.

Mason immediately contacted the contractor on site to request that the missing paving slab be replaced. Both development firms involved in the construction of the estate, Barratt Homes and Taylor Wimpey, deny responsibility for the pavement.

Mason’s enquiries were passed back and forth between the companies – and after two months, Taylor Wimpey has fixed the pavement.

A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey South Wales commented: “Our first priority is the health and safety of our customers, employees and the public. We therefore repaired the damaged kerb-line to prevent any further incidents, even though it was not established which company was responsible for doing so. We are now investigating where the responsibility for maintaining this area of the development lies.”

“The road has been in the same state for three or four years,” said Mason. “When I fell I was in extreme agony. I didn’t realise it would be such a long and painful recovery. It’s just something I have to put up with now. I can’t use my right arm to do anything at all – I can only lift it up to my waist.”

A council spokesperson said: “Cardiff Council continues to maintain street lighting on unadopted roads and investigates drainage complaints of private sewers or drains to prevent health hazards and public nuisance by generally ensuring that blocked or defective drains and private sewers are in good working order.”

But according to Roderick McKerlich, Councillor for Radyr and Morganstown Electoral Division, unadopted roads are a major problem in Cardiff. He said: “This issue causes endless problems. The one that is particularly current is that gritting and snow ploughing just doesn’t happen on these roads.

“I think Radyr is fairly typical of the whole of Cardiff. Any area that has had building work done in the last 15 years will not have escaped this problem. Radyr is not unique in that regard.

“The really distressing thing is that the problem is getting worse. Virtually no roads that are being constructed today are being adopted – so there’s a huge backlog developing.”

According to Jeremy Jones, Corporate Geographic Information System (GIS) Team Leader for Cardiff Council, there are approximately 92 kilometres of unadopted highways in Cardiff – accounting for 8% of all roads in Cardiff. Just under a third of these are pending adoption by the council.

The Highways Act 1980 states that when a developer constructs a road they are responsible for its maintenance until it is adopted by the council. If the developer cannot be found the residents become responsible – even though they pay full council tax.

The council can adopt a road when the developer has constructed it and installed street furniture to a certain standard, and once Welsh Water has adopted the drains underneath the road surface.

Welsh Water’s failure to adopt the drains is a major obstacle in the process according to Councillor Delme Bowen, Executive Member for Traffic and Transport. He said: “The council is waiting for action from Welsh Water on a number of cases, some of them longstanding estates. We cannot adopt roads where the sewers are not already adopted by Welsh Water – because we would be taking on the liability for the drains.”

But many drains are not up to the required standard for adoption by Welsh Water – and there is no legal requirement for them to be so.

“Developers can elect not to enter into the sewage adoption process or can start the process but not follow it through to conclusion. As a result, there are many roads in Cardiff with private sewers but as we are not responsible for these assets we are unaware of their full extent,” said a spokesperson for Welsh Water.

All Welsh Water customers are charged at the standard rate but if the surface water from your property drains to a private sewer and discharges to a watercourse and not a public sewer, you could be entitled to a partial rebate. Welsh Water advise you to contact their information line on 0800 085 3968 if you think this may apply to you.

The Government plans to introduce a new law in October 2011 that will address the problem of private sewer networks. The Private Sewer Transfer Bill will ensure all sewers and lateral drains which are already linked with public sewers transfer into the ownership of water and sewerage companies across England and Wales – for the Cardiff area this company is Welsh Water. Legislation that imposes mandatory build standards on new sewers and an obligation on developers to enter into complete sewer adoption agreements will also be introduced.

Published: The Echo, page 14, 23 December 2010, Wales Online, 13 December 2010

Next week Glamorgan University’s ‘Exposure Radio’ launches and the work has already begun. Documentaries are being recorded and interviews put in the diary. There is an air of nerves and excitement as we hurry to get everything ready in time. Next Monday at 10am the big red ‘on air’ light will go on.

Run by students of various disciplines, we’ll be working on every aspect of running the station – from presenting programmes to marketing and PR. The station is aimed young-ish adults and, in addition to the rock and indie playlisting, will broadcast documentaries on a diverse range of topics – from the Assembly referendum to a documentary following a day in the life of a Big Issue vendor.

Exposure Radio will be live streamed from the ATRiuM at www.exposureradio.org and, as an MA Interactive Journalism student, my job will be to work on the website.

The internet has opened up a wealth of opportunities for the media and our challenge is to use this to the full. Radio, television and the written word no longer exist as separate entities – everything is now expected to be integrated and journalists must be able to work cross-media.

We’ll be complementing the live radio stream with podcasts, videos, photo slideshows, live blogging, social networking… The possibilities are endless.

James Stewart, a senior lecturer in radio and journalism, said: “The project is designed to accurately reflect the way the media industry is going. Nowadays, if you work in the media there’s an expectation for you to be multimedia-literate. Journalists have to be able to move between print, web and radio, as well as master social media. Radio producers have to be conscious of the web – how it enhances the listening experience and can be used to broaden its appeal. Interactivity is the name of the game.”

MA Multi-Platform Radio students will be the senior producers for the radio station, overseeing the work of third year undergraduate radio students.

Ben James, Jordan Selig and Aimee Dewitt, all students on the MA Multi-Platform Radio course, are part of the senior production team for the station.

Ben, 22, from Cardiff completed a creative writing degree before starting his MA and is enjoying taking on such a challenging project: “It’s daunting, definitely. I’m excited about it though, it’ll be a lot of work but I appreciate that that’s what it takes to get results. I’m really looking forward to doing a documentary piece on the upcoming Cardiff-Swansea football match.”

Aimee, 27, from Swansea, plans to pursue a career in presenting after her course. She will be interviewing celebrities for the station, including tenor (and Go Compare advert star), Wynne Evans, and Wales football international, Ashley Williams. “We’re learning skills like presenting and producing – but we’re also gaining experience of management and taking responsibility for a major project,” she said.

Jordan, 24, from Newcastle, studied law for his first degree. He said: “My undergraduate degree had a very theoretical focus. This is the polar opposite. It’s as close as you can possibly get to the real world in a classroom.”

The University’s Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries hopes to pass on the lessons learned in this project to community radio stations around Wales, helping them to enhance the impact of their web presence.

Exposure Radio will be streamed live from the University’s ATRiuM campus at www.exposureradio.org. The station will broadcast from 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, from 24 January to 18 February. Follow @Exposure_Radio on Twitter.

Published: The Guardian (Cardiff), 20 January 2011