How can you report on social media privacy and security issues respectfully and effectively?

1 Know the basics

Before you dive into reporting on social media privacy and security issues, you need to have a solid understanding of the key concepts and terms involved. For example, do you know the difference between encryption, authentication, and authorization? Do you know how cookies, trackers, and pixels work? Do you know what data breaches, leaks, and hacks mean and how they affect users? These are some of the basic questions you should be able to answer before you start your research and interviews. You can use reliable sources such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Privacy International, or the Digital Security Exchange to learn more about these topics.

2 Choose your sources carefully

When you report on social media privacy and security issues, you may need to rely on sources who have insider knowledge, expertise, or experience with these matters. However, you also need to be careful about how you find, contact, and protect your sources. You should avoid using social media platforms or messaging apps that are not secure or encrypted to communicate with your sources. You should also verify their identity, credibility, and motivation before you use their information. You should respect their anonymity and confidentiality if they request it, and use tools such as SecureDrop, Signal, or Tor to protect their data and yours.

3 Explain the impact

One of the challenges of reporting on social media privacy and security issues is that they may seem abstract, technical, or irrelevant to some of your audience. Therefore, you need to explain the impact of these issues on real people, communities, and society. You can use examples, anecdotes, or case studies to illustrate how social media privacy and security issues affect people's lives, rights, and freedoms. You can also use visual aids, such as charts, graphs, or infographics, to make complex data more accessible and understandable. You should avoid using jargon, acronyms, or technical terms without defining them or providing context.

6 Engage and educate

Reporting on social media privacy and security issues is not only about informing your audience, but also about engaging and educating them. You should invite your audience to share their views, experiences, or suggestions on these topics, and encourage them to participate in the conversation. You should also provide them with resources, tips, or tools that can help them improve their own social media privacy and security practices. You should also be open to learning from your audience, and seek their feedback, input, or collaboration on your future stories.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?