Firefighter’s Facebook private or public?
We have linked on STLtoday to the Facebook page of slain firefighter Ryan Hummert, as a means of providing more information about him.
STLtoday has added a link to another Facebook page of remembrances of Mr. Hummert.
The whole area was rocked this morning by the shootings of Hummert and two police officers in Maplewood. Our hearts and prayers are with the victims, their families and friends.
The Facebook link is a means of reporting biographical information about Mr. Hummert — information he apparently was comfortable sharing on his open Facebook page. As in all tragedies, there’s a balancing act in reporting facts about victims. We all want to know the human side of victims – in stories about accidents, shootings, other crimes. A report with names and numbers only would do a disservice to the people involved, and to readers. But the press needs to be sensitive to the feelings of friends and families.
The link has prompted this email complaint: “What kind of classlessness is the Post stooping to? A person’s facebook page is for their friends, not for you to plaster all over the front cover of your website. That is no way to honor and respect a dead fireman. I ask that you take that down.”
In big stories like this, reporters use as many sources as possible. Our online and print reporters have called police departments involved, firehouses, hospitals, witnesses neighbors, families. As is typical, online sources provide much information. Facebook pages are frequent sources in news stories.
Is a victim’s Facebook page a legitimate source? Is linking to it different than merely quoting from it?
Steve Parker is the deputy managing editor for news, and oversees the Post-Dispatch's front page. STLtoday's online news editors are on his newsroom team. Parker has been at the paper since September 1980. 
Yes, the Facebook page is not private. Is it newsworthy? I think not. If linking to a Facebook page is called “journalism”, then the Post is not qualified to call itself a newspaper. I agree with Karens’ post
“You know why Facebook and Myspace pages have become more frequently used sources? Because they are easy for lazy journalists.”
— Karen
2:39 pm July 21st, 2008
Absolutely appropriate and a great way for the public to express sympathy and grief. As we see all the time when someone dies in so tragic and public a manner, people ned a way to reach out and feel a personal sense of connection. Think Princess Diana or the tragedy in Kirkwood or even the happy return of Elizabeth Smart. Early this morning, right after Ryan’s name was released, I instinctively Googled his name to see if there was any information about him. It was not to be voyeristic or salacious but rather to find out who this heroic young man was.
Based on the comments here, it seems that many people are uncomfortable with this practice. Also just read the following commentary on another blog: http://www.unboundedition.com/content/view/7163/50/. There is a bit of an “ick” factor to posting his Facebook link. I think the gut instinct is very important. If it doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not right.
Providing a link to a recently murdered person facebook page is simply sensationalist journalism. Its not a source and I am sure the family of the deceased does not appreciate the additional traffic nor does the deceased friends who are linked to his page.
Not only do you post the link to his Facebook page, but you are holding a forum about it as well? Let’s not forget what happened today…
Another ethical issue involved here is that this is a deep link to a commercial entities internal webpages. Deep linking is already hazy ground legally, and even more so ethically.
A secondary consideration is that a website for a suddenly high profile person may not be a legitimate site. It is not that difficult to copy images, text, and other information that would appear to identify a person; and use such a false site for nefarious purposes. Without validation that the site legitimately belongs to the person, such a link is risky at best.
As a final consideration, Ryan Hummert is dead and can no longer make the decision of whether or not to reveal his account, delete his account, or remove his account from search indexing. His family might be able to make this choice for him, but may not have access to the necessary password to do this. This means that the decision is deep link to his information in this manner is being done without the informed consent of him or his estate.
As a journalism grad myself I feel that this was pure laziness on the part of the PD. Yes, it’s true anyone could have searched and found his page and read about him, and that’s the point. You are no better now than anyone else. You aren’t journalists…just scavengers. Journalists interview and report, not look for the easy way out. Shame on your PD for not doing real reporting on who this kid was.
While definitely not necessary in reporting the story, whatever he put on Facebook is public information. Journalists are not the only ones to use these pages. Employers do; schools do. That’s why people who put up their pages need to exercise some caution. It’s not that private. It’s a terrible tragedy that this young man was killed in the line of duty and his family deserves the time to mourn in private, but some here would rather the media bother them than go to Facebook. How weird is that? Bug the grieving mom and dad, but don’t give people a glimpse of this guy’s personality thru less intrusive means.
Two questions to ask yourself concerning the morality of this…
#1. If it were possible to ask Ryan if exploiting his Facebook is ok, what would he say?
#2. Would you want someone turning *your* Facebook into a public spectacle post-mortem?
I agree with the vast majority of previous posts - totally classless and a lazy way to provide “information.”
But what I find more disrespectful is that fact that now you are using this controversy as a means to debate whether or not it is acceptable. Instead of creating more traffic and attention for yourself, could you not have shown a modicum of respect for Mr. Hummert and a little empathy for his family and friends by taking down the link upon the first complaint?
TOTALLY UNNECESSARY, PD. Public servants risk their lives everyday to serve and protect us all, and this is how you choose to honor the memory?