As a facebook user I don’t think using a person’s facebook page, even if it may be public to that network, is appropriate to use it as part of a story. To truly know who a person is, ask family members, friends, and loved ones, not read through their facebook account to figure out who they are. Knowing someone’s favorite bands does not tell who this person REALLY is.

I belived a Facebook or My Space page is not a legtimate news source.There is so many ways the information could be false,bias,manauplated,etc.Lets hpoe the PD and others news media use great caution on these emotional stories.

not an issue of being a legitimate source - this is all about respect for the dead and I would not have linked to it. The victim does bear some responsibility for leaving his profile unprotected but STLtoday should not be pointing to it. I’m sure the victim’s family does not appreciate it at all.

I don’t think that it was unethical to link Mr. Hummert’s Facebook page. Since it isn’t set to only be viewable by friends, anyone could have gone into their own profile and searched for his.
However, as a journalist, I would not have published his profile link. It may be something that his family and friends now feel protective over. Given a little time, I’m sure those who knew him will want to share what kind of person he was. After all, at its core journalism is about footwork, not Google.

I feel that it is also not something that you put on a link. It is in poor taste in my opinion.

I think Facebook or MySpace can be good sources for photos. If the victim is comfortable enough with those pictures to post them on the internet, I believe he would be comfortable as those being used in news coverage.

I am not sure about the whole linking to his Facebook page, though. I think people have too much morbid curiosity as it is (see any accident on highway for a plethora of rubberneckers). In addition, people can be cold and callous especially behind the anonimity of the internet.. I would hate to see someone posting ignorant messages about this tragedy there, made easier with a link from stltoday.

I was really taken aback when I saw the link to Mr. Hummert’s Facebook page in stltoday’s headlines. If he chose to make his page open for public viewing, the Post is not at all at fault for referring to it. Linking directly to it, though, seems tacky and disrespectful, especially when he’s been gone barely a few hours. Though I’d like to know more about this person, I did not click on the link out of respect for him. I am a Facebook member, but a cautious one. Since joining, I have been stunned at how much people share about themselves! I disagree with the Post’s use of Mr. Hummert’s Facebook page, but I hope it serves as a warning to all those who share too much too freely.

There are a lot of ’sick’ people out there on the internet. To take a tool the family may use to contact friends and family, and put it out there for all. It just invites, the weirdos to harass the family. Do some real journalism! Talk to the family, don’t just search the web. We could do that!

If you can get to it on your own, the paper has every right to provide it for you.

That’s what you get, when you create Facebook and MySpace pages.

One additonal thing…

I do not agree with those who think it is NOT a legitimate source. If one was quoting someone else’s opinion, it is jaded by their personal experience (good or bad). It is NOT appropriate to use MySpace/Facebook info about a second person from one person’s page. However, I think it is appropriate to use such first person information (as well as the pictures) for a story. After all, like the pictures, it is what Ryan Hummert wanted the world to know about him.