Web Voyeurism Adds That Human Element To News Stories

from the from-the-comfort-of-your-own-home dept

If you've noticed an increasing trend in news stories recently to discuss additional information about someone as found on their online blog or social networking profile, you're not alone. It seems that it's not just the police who will now look for additional evidence that you've posted online -- but the press is starting to use any additional info they can find about you online to breathe more oxygen into an otherwise dull news story. While some think it adds a "human element" to some of the drama, others find it a bit voyeuristic. They're probably both right.
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  • identicon
    TriZz, 13 Feb 2006 @ 1:46pm

    This doesn't surprise me at all...

    ...as more of us spend more time online now, it would only make sense that they seek blogs/websites/social networking profiles to find out more about us.
    I was recently involved in a missing persons case (because I was friends with the, at the time, missing person) - reporters were constantly sending me messages through myspace. The missing person also had a profile on myspace as well as live journal. The "alledged" murderer (she was found, unfortunately not alive) also spent great amounts of time online.
    His online photo album ended up being the key to where he hid the body. They sought out the places in his photographs and found the body that way...
    ...reporters ate it up. Reporters would leave comments on her Live Journal account saying "if anyone has any information they'd like to share, please contact me at (xxx) xxx-xxxx. It was rediculous.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Ben McNelly, 13 Feb 2006 @ 3:01pm

    ah the human ellement....

    ah the human ellement.... In other words, news will be even more full of crap. Great. Not to say most humans are full of it, just the bloggers. (that includes me too I guess..)

    but seriously, the internet has always been conoluded and full of wierdness that is total nonsense. THE LAST place on earth to look for truth and integrity in publishing, is a blog. sheesh..

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    bob, 13 Feb 2006 @ 4:25pm

    What if its about You and they get the Dirt

    What if they find and you have a particularly strong opinion about something in relation to the matter the press or anybody else have an an interest about. they can quite mistranslate and misconstrue your words and make a nice interesting stoy out of it.not cool.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    David, 13 Feb 2006 @ 5:11pm

    No Subject Given

    Publishing to the WORLD WIDE web is not for those who care about the privacy of their words. Also, while the web didn't create the old adage: "Be careful what you put in writing", it certainly reminds us of it.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Josh Tomaino, 13 Feb 2006 @ 7:41pm

    No Subject Given

    I think this is among the reasons they ban myspace and other such social networking sites from company networks. You never know what disgruntled employee is going to let off some steam in a blog post about how his boss is a total idiot for taking up such and such a deal for such and such an amount of money ... what a leak.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Adam, 14 Feb 2006 @ 6:34am

      Irrelevent

      What makes you think that employee couldn't post that on myspace once he got home from work anyways?

      link to this | view in chronology ]


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