It seems many people are looking toward geolocation as the future of social media — that is, if it isn’t already “here” now.
The evolution of online networking has taken big steps the past few years. We’ve already nailed down connecting with friends and family (MySpace, then Facebook). We then nailed down connecting with random people and professional types (Twitter). Now we’re in the business of showing people where we’re at and where we’ve been (Foursquare, Gowalla, BrightKite, etc.). Twitter allows us to do this, and Facebook will, too.
Many people I’ve talked to think these geolocation apps are gimmicks — games that some people, especially social media hounds, will drool over, while others will stay content chatting on Facebook and Twitter. Fair enough. But like it or not, there are benefits of geolocation to journalists — although not without ethical and safety issues.
Developing technology
This past #wjchat, on Wednesday, was one of the better ones in terms of covering an issue from every aspect. The guest was Chad Graham, social media editor at azcentral.com (Arizona Republic), and the topic was exactly this: Geolocation. What are its benefits? How can journalists use it? What ethical issues surface from its use?
The reason why, in the first line of this post, I said if it isn’t already “here” now, is because in one sense, geolocation isn’t really “here.” Few people are using it right now outside of tech-savvy, public relations types and social media enthusiasts. Why? Besides the fact that this concept is still quite young, it doesn’t present the wide array of benefits that Twitter and Facebook did when they came along. Apps such as Foursquare can certainly connect you to people based on location, but most people ask, “Why should I make this effort to ‘check in’ to places?”
That’s a good question. Foursquare answers with the mayor label and an array of badges. Incentives (More on this later). So in a sense, geolocation is still developing, and it’s only going to go as far as its popularity. Unless people are given a reason to use this technology now, it’s going to grow slower than the wildfire growth we saw with Twitter and Facebook.
That isn’t to say geolocation will never fully catch on. It is right now, among a few demographics. And it is giving journalists another element to work with when covering stories.
Geojournalism
Graham pointed out several benefits of geolocation Wednesday, including an example on how a tourism reporter can use it. In essence, it allows journalists to easily find people who frequent certain places without having to perform trial-and-error on location.
Another great use of geolocation: Building your brand. Some news organizations, including the Grand Rapids Press (where I currently work), are working to geotag stories with locations, perhaps as “tips.” Therefore, when people are using Foursquare and are looking up places to eat, drink, dance, lay on the beach, etc., they will find written stories (or, even better, summaries with links) about those places. Foursquare organizes tips based on your proximity, so getting as many stories filed onto this tool (and hopefully linked to), the better.
What parts of the newsroom benefit most from geolocation? In my opinion, it’s cops and courts. The most underused element of any news site is the police log. One of the new features of Central Michigan Life’s Web site when it debuted last August (I was editor in chief at the time) was a Google Map embedded into a page that marked critical arrests and incidents based on data from several police departments. This is, by far, the greatest way to present police data to readers, especially if it can be mobilized and track recent crimes based on where the user is at. How many news organizations are still not utilizing this is beyond me.
The Mashable story I linked to above provides more ways of using Foursquare as a journalistic tool. You can use it to source information from tips, crowdsource news w/ badges, etc.
The “dark side” of geolocation
As to be expected, however, there are several ethical and safety concerns that arise when dealing with, you know, showing people where they’re at and when.
A PCWorld story I read recently gave some great reasons what companies can do with your data. The biggest concern? Having Foursquare bought out by another company and having the privacy policy you originally agreed to get thrown out the window. “Imagine the wealth of location data available to legal authorities now,” Dan Tynan writes.
The other great concern, obviously, is safety. Graham pointed out during #wjchat that safety comes first. I completely agree. Geolocation is not enough of a necessity in journalism, and is not recommended for people, including journalists, when there is a concern of safety. One way you can reduce the risk of stalking is by “checking in” to places right before you leave, but the obvious remedy is not using geolocation altogether. People choose to share location-based information, after all.
As for an ethical issue, here’s one, via Graham: Would reporters checking in to places be seen as an endorsement? A former colleague of mine, Chad Livengood, a reporter now with the News Journal in Wilmington, De., addressed a similar issue — “liking” pages on Facebook — by writing this:
NOTE: Because I am a political reporter, I sometimes will become a “fan” of a certain politician, just to see what he/she is writing to constituents and voters. In no way does it mean that I endorse or support any politician or public official. It also does NOT mean I am necessarily a “fan” of them — or vice-versa.
Perhaps a note such as this would quell that issue on Foursquare? It’s an interesting dynamic, for sure. Feel free to comment if you have a take on the matter.
Conclusion
Like it or not, geolocation is going to play a part in the future of social media and journalism. The future of news is hyperlocal and personalized, both of which geolocation plays a part in. Whether apps such as Foursquare or something down the road catch on like wildfire or not, we need to acknowledge that proximity plays a factor in news and what’s going on around you. It always has, in some sense.
There are other little things we can learn from these tools, too. For example, Foursquare’s incentives idea (mayors, badges) should be applied to other areas, such as comments sections (I’ve talked about this before, with Huffington Post’s use of it). It’s a great way to get people a little more motivated to participate in conversation, and it also can allow people to self-moderate the comments area for you.
My hope is that every news organization is experimenting with geolocation and, if it isn’t, it should start as soon as possible if it wants to remain relevant among its readership. After all, if you’re not trying new technologies and staying ahead of the game, you’re falling behind and quickly losing relevance. Just be wary of the safety and ethical implications that arise with this new technology.
One final thought, thanks to Dorrine Mendoza, online content producer for North County Times: Geolocation tools are “like finding a $5 bill, you get unexpected rewards.”
Posted by Brian Manzullo at July 2, 2010
Journalism, Social Media