Legal and Ethical Aspects of Social Media User Provision of Information to the Public Regulation: the View of Media Regulatory and Self-regulatory Bodies in Lithuania

Abstract

Social media users are recognised to be a new actor in the field of public information. Their activities along with professional journalists’ activities of providing information to the public differ. The changing field of public information and peculiarities of providing information to the public by social media users prompt scientific discussions on social media regulation in relation to information provision to the public. The aim of the research is to determine the criteria for equating activities of information provision to the public by social media users with activities of public information professionals in the context of legal and ethical regulation of professional media. The research is carried out by analysing legal documents regulating the activities of Lithuanian media and social media, as well as decisions adopted by self-regulatory bodies and other institutions. Having conducted the research, it was established that in Lithuania the criteria for equating SM users to journalists are the criteria of journalistic activity (functionality) and journalistic professionalism. For acknowledgment that SM users provide information to the public like journalists, criteria of information publicity, dissemination, accessibility, and possibility of information control are raised.