SOJC profs write about live-streaming in The Conversation

Live-streaming services such as Facebook Live and Periscope seem like they’re here to stay. But what effect will it have on journalism?

UO journalism professors Seth Lewis and Nicole Dahmen attempt to answer this in a piece they co-authored for The Conversation. They discuss things such as the increased reaction that videos receive on social media, how live-streaming makes citizen reporting more accessible and, perhaps most importantly, the ethical issues that sometimes arise surrounding live streams.

“Journalistic codes of ethics emphasize seeking truth and minimalizing harm. Facebook, of course, doesn’t adhere to these same ethical considerations,” they write. “What’s more, everyday folks creating Facebook Live videos do not fashion themselves as journalists — nor should they be expected to have journalistic responsibilities in mind.”

Read the full article in The Conversation, Raw Story, the San Antonio Express-News and other media outlets.

Both Lewis and Dahmen teach at the UO’s School of Journalism and Communication. In addition, Lewis is an award-winning researcher specializing in the interplay of humans and machines in news, and Dahmen has published four book chapters and 15 peer-reviewed journal articles. Both are Oregon Experts.