Ethics and Practice in Media Monitoring and Intelligence

By: Philip Odiakose

Media monitoring and intelligence have become increasingly important in the digital age. With the vast amount of information available online, media monitoring provides businesses, organisations, and individuals with valuable insights into clients’ media mentions, public opinion, industry trends, competitive media share, media sentiment and emerging issues.

However, as the use of media monitoring and intelligence continues to grow, so do the ethical concerns surrounding their use.

In this article, I will explore the ethics and practice of media monitoring and intelligence, including the potential risks and benefits, as well as the best practices for using them responsibly.

Benefits of Media Monitoring and Intelligence

Media monitoring and intelligence can provide a range of benefits, including:

1. Near Real-time insights: Media monitoring allows businesses and organizations to track their brand reputation and public perception in near real-time. By monitoring news articles, social media posts, and other online content, they can quickly identify any negative comments or issues and take action to address them before they escalate.
2. Competitive intelligence: Media monitoring can also provide valuable insights into competitor activity, helping businesses and organisations stay ahead of industry trends and identify potential threats or opportunities.
3. Industry trends: By monitoring industry-specific news and social media, businesses and organizations can stay up-to-date on emerging trends, allowing them to adapt their strategies and remain competitive.
4. Crisis management: In the event of a crisis, media monitoring can help businesses and organizations track public sentiment and respond quickly and effectively.

Risks and Ethical Concerns

While media monitoring and intelligence can provide valuable insights, they also raise a number of ethical concerns, including:

1. Privacy: Media monitoring often collects personal information, such as social media posts, location data, and online activity. This raises questions around consent and privacy, particularly in cases where the information is being collected without the knowledge or consent of the individual.
2. Accuracy: Media monitoring relies on algorithms and machine learning to analyze large volumes of data. While these can provide valuable insights, there is always a risk of errors or biases in the data analysis.
3. Misuse: Media monitoring can be used for malicious purposes, such as tracking the activities of individuals or groups without their knowledge or consent.
4. Unintended Consequences: Media monitoring and intelligence can have unintended consequences. For example, monitoring the online activity of employees can create a culture of distrust, negatively impacting morale and productivity.

Best Practices for Ethical Media Monitoring and Intelligence

To mitigate these risks, it is important to follow best practices for ethical media monitoring and intelligence:

1. Transparency: Media Monitoring Consultants should be transparent about the use of media monitoring tools and the data collected. This includes providing clear information about what data is being collected, how it is being used, and who has access to it.
2. Consent: Media Monitoring consultants should sign an SLA with clients before collecting and using their data. This includes obtaining explicit consent for sensitive data, such as location data or social media posts.
3. Accuracy: Media Monitoring Consultants should ensure that media monitoring tools are supported by humans to ensure accurate and reliable data. This includes regular human testing and reviewing the algorithms used.
4. Purpose: Media Monitoring Consultants should ensure that media monitoring tools are used for legitimate purposes, such as media performance audit, media intelligence, media research, crisis management, or competitive analysis.
5. Security: Media Monitoring Consultants should take measures to ensure the security of the data collected, including using encryption and other security measures to protect sensitive information.

In conclusion, Media monitoring and intelligence provide valuable insights into clients’ media mentions, public opinion, industry trends, competitive media share, media sentiment and emerging issues. However, the use of media data raises ethical concerns around privacy, accuracy, and unintended consequences.

To ensure the responsible and ethical use of client’s media data, media monitoring and intelligence consultants should follow best practices around transparency, consent, accuracy, purpose, and security. By doing so, they can harness the power of media monitoring and intelligence while minimizing the risks and protecting the rights of clients in their custody.

Philip Odiakose is the Chief Insights Consultant at P+ Measurement Services, a Media Intelligence Consultancy in Lagos State, Nigeria.