Student yearbook uses Facebook images to fill pages
When students at Walter Johnson High School (WJHS) in Bethesda, Maryland received their yearbooks, they discovered several photographic images from their Facebook pages. Yearbook staff pinched for time resorted to downloading the images to fill in pages in the book. The images included: impromptu snapshots at house parties and random weekend gatherings; portraits taken at arm's length on cellphones; and at least one image of students at what looks like a tailgate party, drinking from telltale red plastic cups. For the most part, the photos were used without the permission of students and without crediting photographers. Some students used pictures from their own Facebook pages, while others used images culled from the pages of friends and classmates. According to Facebook spokesman Matt Hicks, the site hosts thousands of interconnected networks, including colleges and a burgeoning number of high schools, companies, and places. He has made no comment on the situation at WJHS other than pointing out that "we urge all users to seek permission from users before republishing photos." WJHS Principal Christopher Garran insists future yearbooks will credit every photo. He is also considering asking that yearbook staffers henceforth take a class in basic journalism. Students who work on the school newspaper are quick to point out that they must take the class, which covers ethics and plagiarism. The WJHS student newspaper, The Pitch, has reported that yearbook adviser, Dora Golanoski, told students to avoid Facebook and MySpace at the start of the academic year, but she subsequently went on maternity leave and a substitute replaced her.
Washington Post
By Daniel de Vise
[Full story]