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The Media Show

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

This is the programme about a revolution in media.

Social media, anti-social media, breaking news, faking news: this is the programme about a revolution in media.

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The Media Show: Facebook's apology to drag queens; Anonymity online; Inquiry into the use of RIPA

Facebook's apology to drag queens; Anonymity online; Inquiry into the use of RIPA

08/10/2014

BBC Radio 4 - The Media Show, Facebook's apology to drag queens; Anonymity online; Inquiry into the use of RIPA

Featuring a discussion on online anonymity, and Keith Vaz talks about police use of RIPA.

Steve Hewlett presents media news, featuring Facebook's apology to drag queens, a discussion about online anonymity, and Keith Vaz talks about an inquiry into the use of RIPA.

Facebook has apologised to drag queens, and those with transgender status, after it closed some accounts following reports they were fake because they weren't using their legal names. However, a coalition met with Facebook at its headquarters in San Francisco, and they can now use their pseudonyms. Steve Hewlett talks to Lil Miss Hot Mess, who organised a rally in San Francisco against the policy, and to Misty Chance a drag queen in Manchester, who changed his name legally, rather than having his online profile removed. Also joining Steve is Emma Carr from Big Brother Watch, and tech journalist Rupert Goodwins about some of the wider issues the story has uncovered.

Another story this week which has raised questions about our online identity is that of Brenda Leyland, who
was found dead after being challenged by Sky News over accusations of 'trolling' the McCanns. Steve is joined by Emily Bell, Director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University in the US, to discuss whether anonymity should be allowed on social websites, or are the benefits of remaining anonymous outweighed by the costs?

And a parliamentary committee is to ask every police force in the UK how many times they have obtained the telephone and email records of journalists without their consent. Keith Vaz has called for a detailed breakdown of police use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), which forces telephone companies to hand over phone records. It was recently revealed how police investigating 'Plebgate' obtained the telephone records of Tom Newton Dunn, the Political Editor of the Sun, in this way. Steve Hewlett talks to Keith Vaz, chairman of the home affairs select committee about the scope of the inquiry.

Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

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