Facebook is now offering journalists the same tools as
celebrities – or maybe not.
September 15, 2015 Kevin E. Dayhoff
The article began, “Pop quiz: What do Kim Kardashian and Bob
Woodward have in common?
“If that question were posed Wednesday, the answer might be
that both had written books — one about
selfies,
the other about
presidential
self-destruction. But as of today, Kardashian and Woodward have something
else in common: both have access to the same suite of exclusive social media
tools, privileges that have also been extended to thousands of other
journalists.
“Earlier today, Facebook announced it was allowing
journalists and others with verified profiles to use Mentions, an app
originally intended to empower celebrities to manage their social personas.
After Mentions
launched
in 2014, news outlets dutifully chronicled the list of
actors,
musicians
and
professional
athletes that flocked to the app, then
dubbed a “VIP only” service.
“Now, journalists and public figure whose profiles have been
verified by Facebook — as indicated by a little blue check mark — will have
access to Mentions. Using the app, they can monitor Facebook chatter about
various topics and hold question-and-answer sessions from their phones…”
I immediately took the time to process a Facebook request
for be verified as a journalist.
All the while, I kept thinking about the Franz Kafka 1925
classic dystopian fiction, “The Trial.”
My request was immediately denied… This by media that
recognized folks such as Kim Kardashian as an accomplished “authentic public
figure,” that meets “Facebook's standards for notability…”
Meanwhile I had posted the Poynter article on my Facebook
page… To which a journalist friend, Steven R Berryman, on Facebook remarked,
“Yeah right Kevin like where are we going to find any journalists anyway?”
To which I responded, “LOL, Steve, apparently Facebook
agrees with you and denied my request for verification as a journalist. ‘On
Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 3:10 PM ... Hi Kevin,
‘Thanks for your request. We've reviewed this account and
found that it's not eligible for verification at this time.
‘While the profile or Page may represent an authentic public
figure, brand, business or organization, verification is also based on Facebook's
standards for notability. We hope you continue to connect with and grow your
audience on Facebook...’”
To which I responded to Facebook, a faceless existential entity
often confused with the enigmatic prosecutorial entity in “The Trial.”
"Hi, Thanks for your response to my request for
verification as a journalist. Thank you for your time.
“I sent in my request for verification in response to an
article I found in Poynter, ‘Facebook is now offering journalists the same
tools as celebrities,’ by Benjamin Mullin, Published Sep. 10, 2015 12:59 pm.
“The article left me with the impression that ‘Facebook's
standards for notability,’ now included writing for a major newspaper. Of
course, my critics may not feel that I am a journalist and that the Baltimore
Sun is not a major newspaper, but I have in fact written for the newspaper for
12 years.
“I would like to qualify for a verified account, so that I
and other "journalists may decide to use Facebook as another avenue for
reporting and engagement, thereby solidifying the social network’s place as an
arbiter of news."
Please advise. Thanks for your time.”
I never heard back from Facebook. No word if the flogger
will appear at a later date… now that I have been rendered a first judgement…
Then as failure piled on to failure, I had tried to leave a
comment on Poynter and failed… If I had been successful in posting my comment,
this is, in part, is what I wanted to say…. I have since added to it, since I
did not need to be concerned with brevity…
Days later, I went back to the Poynter article just to
confirm as to whether or not I really did read the article or if it was a manifestation
of my over-active imagination – and if I had read the article correctly.
I was amused to see a comment, “And this is a good thing?”
At that point, I did notice that my comment was finally
published…
Anyway, my elaborated response reads:
Mr. Benjamin Mullin,
Thank you for this article. As a result of your article, I
visited the page for Facebook.com/about/mentions and saw that in order to get
the “Mentions” app, I needed to be verified on Facebook as a public figure. I
immediately applied for a verified account with Facebook, along with a jpg of
my government-issued identification card and a link to 12-years of articles in
a major U.S. newspaper - - and was promptly denied.
The threshold of my amazement has been moved once again.
Have you applied to be verified as a journalist by Facebook?
Although I have navigated the internet and computers for
decades; with Facebook I find myself occasionally adrift in a sea of
ever-changing byzantine rules of which I simply lack the sophisticated and
intercultural competence to navigate.
I was excited to read your article for many reasons. Time
and space do not allow me to elaborate. However, I have worked at my journalism
skills all my life. I take great pride in my profession. Yet, I sometimes
bristle at whom Facebook has deemed to be worthy of its “standards for
notability.”
Let’s just say that I was amazed to find the names Kim
Kardashian and Bob Woodward in the same sentence in the context with a
discussion about Facebook “allowing journalists and others with verified
profiles to use Mentions, an app originally intended to empower celebrities to
manage their social personas. After Mentions launched in 2014, news outlets
dutifully chronicled the list of actors, musicians and professional athletes
that flocked to the app, then dubbed a ‘VIP only’ service.”
The fact that, to date, Mr. Woodward is not considered
“public figure” and Ms. Kardashian is – can be fuel for much discussion. Let’s
just say that I was happy that the profession of journalism was getting some
recognition.
To be certain, I’m not sure that I am looking at Facebook
for indemnification for what I have done with my life. I am not always the most
confident writer …. And of course, my critics may not feel that I am a
journalist and the paper for which I write is not a major newspaper, but I have
in fact written for the newspaper for 12 years…
I guess that I was simply excited about “the latest overture
from Facebook to the world of media, and [that] it signals that the social
media giant is looking to strengthen its position as a destination for news….”
I am always looking for new outlets and keep hoping Facebook will grow to be
something more than a vehicle for rants or what to have for dinner.
Sometimes the greatest hoax in life is the hope for safety
J.K.'s last words were, "Like a dog!" Just saying
