The gulf that exists between social and mainstream media is punctuated by moderation.
Social media will never take over the role of mainstream media, in providing news and information gathered by journalists. Within social media, there will always be bullying, hate and cruel defamation. As a newspaper editor, though, Ineed to be aware of the power of social media, and the role it has in promoting the Northern Advocate - as I do, as a parent of kids exposed to a global internet world that we did not have to live in, as teenagers.
So when a video emerges, such as the one of a fight outside a Northland school last week, we look at it from a few different perspectives. Is it news? Do we publish it, are we denying our readers the right to know something they should?
So, I watched the video of one schoolgirl beating up another.
I could only conclude it was disgusting on multiple levels. The level of violence. The level of ignorance - a teenage boy approaches the girls, not to stop the beating but to get a better look. A crowd watches, and does nothing. The video perpetuates multiple stereotypes about Northland, about teenagers.
I could find nothing good in the video, other than respect for the stance Senior Sergeant Brian Swann took - "If you share it, you're no better than the people who commit this behaviour".
We need to protect our children, not victimise them.
If our readers want to watch it, you can find it, as I did.
