CBC News Editors' Blog

Please don't!

CBC News should not get more involved with sites like Facebook. CBC, as a public entity, should not be garnering "fans" or spending public dollars attempting to do so.

Concentrate on an unbiased news coverage.

Don't get involved with sites like Facebook!

I recently, with great difficulty, deleted Facebook, and am concerned with CBC's entuisiasm in becoming involved.

The CBC can't do one thing without someone complaining about how they're "wasting taxpayer dollars". I'm sure that having a Facebook presence is a vast waste of tax money.
Come on.

Facebook is useful to connect with other people. CBC represents a single, collated source of information. No facebook user wants to browse different group sites to learn the latest official headlines. If CBC wants to make use of the new social media, you must include ratings, and advanced blog capabilities within the cbc.ca framework, eventually allowing readers to collectively decide the frontpage content.

Looks like CBC is gonna get addicted to facebook as well...DON'T DO IT!

Facebook seems like a waste of time for a crown corporation. How many old high school buddies could the CBC have, anyway?

There is no harm in getting involved with Facebook, provided CBC makes an effort to keep up with feedback and suggestions posted there — if you give an opportunity to the people to ask questions, or make suggestions, it'd be a good idea to keep up with it.

All in all, it's not a *bad* idea.

It's free... If anything the CBC is getting more ads for less. Do it up.

Welcome to Facebook. Ignore all those naysayers; they just don't want to stay up to date. Facebook is where your audience is.

I am shocked to learn that CBC has opened a facebook page.
CBC, as a public news broadcaster, should concentrate more on presenting broader news coverage, rather than wasting tax-payers' money in trivial networking websites.
You may follow your big brother BBC; make it an international news portal, reliable to everyone in the world.
A quick suggestion - start a section which will help people (specially immigrants) learning english, french or even Canadian culture. BBC has a similar language section in their website and it is quite helpful.

The CBC's attempt to connect with a younger audience is a good thing. The one thing we can all agree on is that more young people use facebook than older. Its time we get away from just pleasing the people over 40, its our future, do it up CBC

I will be dropping my Facebook account unless I am offered something other than the 'negative billing option' approach to their corporate fan program. Why CBC would want to become involved with a scheme that I believe is a gross violation of individual privacy is beyond me. Count me as a disappointed 'fan' of CBC for this decision.

CBC's involvement in the Facebook community is sadly a good move. A great number of young people don't read the news, let alone go to CBC.ca. It is sad that we need the convenience of a link, a news snippet or a headline to become interested.

As a crown corporation, it is only natural for CBC to try and deliver the news to as many people/tax payers as possible. By joining Facebook, CBC will inevitably increase its audience.

As a suggestion, CBC should stay far away from personal information exchange. It would also be good to have a custom 'news' window displaying the news of personal interest.

as usual the CBC jumps on the train just after the caboose has left the station. are you expecting to be perceived as hip? cutting edge? cool with the under-25 set. don't waste your time; it's never gonna happen. cutting-edge is NOT facebook, nor is it silly reality shows or lame-o brit imports publicized to the max.
definitely not a fan, man

i personally love the idea . there is a lot of people that do keep new and old contacts. there is a free road to involve and inform small town Canada ,that nobody can hear because there isnt enough people to make the noise. i live in small town Canada ,so i see this as an opurtunity to show life in the middle of nothing were our town population will fit in ONE highrise and leave room to spare. i feel our biggest threat here is the travelers on the major highway through the middle of town! We never fully understand the dangers that routinely drive through, be it people or commodity . so worry me ? yes even small town Canada

I am a young person and I have CBC as my home page. I don't think CBC should venture into the realm of facebook. It's a social site gathering information on individuals and popular trends. As a government owned corporation, there would be a conflict of interest between the government gathering information on it's citizens and reporting the news. Don't join facebook.

The CBC should not be involved with a site whose privacy policy is increasingly intrusive and makes it very difficult to remove information.

Facebook does not allow users to delete their accounts without deleting first every piece of information individually. For many users, this would mean days of painful clicking - as it did for me.

As a public corporation, CBC should have no association with this very questionable site.

I think its great that CBC is joining Facebook. Kids today are too easily seduced by "sensationalized news" and any way to get some of these young people to get their information from an unbiased, and truly Canadian media outlet, can't be bad. Heck, if the Catholic church can start using Facebook as a recruitment tool, there's no reason that the CBC can't either.

Forget Facebook. The CBC is not going to gain anything from helping Facebook make money. The only people who are going to become ‘Fans’ of the CBC are the same people that are already spending time on the proper CBC website anyway. If you really would like to improve reader/viewer feedback, the best solution is to expand on the ability to leave comments. Why is it that I can leave a comment here and on other ‘Your View’ listed articles, but not on *every* article? Believe it or not, some of us have thoughts about stories that don’t necessarily catch the attention of the ‘Your View’ editors.

I personally don't like facebook. However, the fact that CBC is using it is a great idea! People should have access to great news headings everywhere rather than just the newspaper. Not to mention, although I'm personally against facebook due to they not caring about our privacy... it is a great way to keep up-to-date with old friends, and now, even world-wide news.

I feel that Facebook is a great way to get the news out to a whole new generation. I am currently attending University and to myself, Facebook is an everyday thing. Even though I do see many students read the daily newspaper and keep up-to-date and current world events, most of us just don't have much time or be it extra mind power to bother with the news. Most of us live in a bubble of post-secondary life. Even then, facebook is a great way to broadcast the news to millions of students and others in my generation and therefore make a more convenient avenue to share the news. I am totally FOR this idea.

Dear CBC,
In my opinion, a public service as essential as the CBC should not get involved with private companies such as Facebook, and most importantly as a Canadian tax payer, I would like to think that my money is being used to gather a larger audience. Stick to non-biased news.
Eric
Montreal, QC

As a long time CBC viewer/listener and an over-50 Facebook member I must agree with 'mt' from Ottawa.
Why is it that I can only leave comments where your editors allow me to? I often feel frustrated by this lack of access. Open up the CBC site and forget Facebook!

No doubt many people idly reading this site are just 'shocked' to know there is such a thing as Facebook. It's not the most up-to-date bunch by the sounds of comments on most stories. By the way, if You have a Facebook profile, You don't have to visit it - let it go dormant and You can decide yourself what info You put on it. If some entity is using Facebook and MySpace to determine social trends, well, gee - so what. Better go hide in the woods, people. The Paranoia is spreading.

This is a great idea .face book is the face of future -yet some with eyes do not want to see.As an immigrant iam baffeld at how many young Canadians have no clue what is in the news until some one is taserd..which is bad news...understanding news and discerning well the implications of "newsbodies" is why news is useful as lessons and indicators to the future.Well inform the "will be future" in the facebook...

I think that CBC's resources could be vertically integrated into their own website rather than more laterally spread so that no one source is as fully developed as it could be.

If I want to network with friends, I will go to Facebook. If I want to know what is happening in this world, I will go to CBC's website. I need no more reasons to be on Facebook than I already create for myself.

The CBC is not offering an alternative to a private sector media environment characterised more by opinion, propaganda and infotainment by spreading out to FaceBook.

The CBC's first foray into FaceBook ended up not being educational, informing, or entertaining. It was mostly distraction, something Canadians, and especially younger people do not need.

Stick with what you do best.

I am so tired of watching trivial material on the national news. Today, Jan. 7, there was almost no news and the CBC covered, in painful detail, soccer in Italy and other sports stories. WHO CARES?
DID NOTHING SIGNIFICANT HAPPEN IN THE WORLD TODAY?

*sigh* Don't you guys think it's too much publicity for CBC? And besides, who's going to check out the group/ fan listing to look at top headlines. It seems to be a waste of time and space on facebook. All you really need is the website.

Not the best idea, that's for sure! I use Facebook to keep in touch with old friends and play a game or two with them. If I really want my news or stories, I'll go to CBC.ca or turn on the TV...it's fairly straightforward.

As is, I already get 'spammed' relentlessly by friends sending me invitations to a thousand applications every week. I already ignore all those, I don't need CBC doing that too. I highly doubt that this is a step forward for CBC.

Facebook is good for a few laughs and a distraction at best, it's certainly NOT a place to go for news stories and interesting articles!

Umm.....but the Great Canadian Wish List was freeped. I don't think it was a success. Is it really a smart idea for the CBC to get involved in Facebook again?
Maybe if it's more careful this time.

I think it is great that CBC News is pursuing new media as some methods of getting involved with Canadians, however, I would strongly recommend that CBC read and understand any implications that come with using the Facebook site. This is not a social medium that should be taken lightly. There are some strong legalise in the terms and conditions. For example, anything that anyone posts to Facebook becomes property of Facebook. Facebook can take your image, sell a million copies of it and pay you nothing. There is no guarantee of privacy even if all settings are set to private. With many users interacting with little or no privacy, if any problems arise, Facebook will not intervene or take any responsibility. Facebook also publishes user information which is gathered from 3rd party sites, such as e-commerce purchases. There is something about Facebook that attracts its users though, and that is voyeurism. I would recommend anyone read the terms and conditions for any software or service, but more so with Facebook.

Jacob Chappelle

CBC,
I agree that Facebook is a fantastic way to get your news out there and get more so the "younger" viewers into whats going on in the world today. But I also disagree that CBC News making a profile on Facebook will actually have many viewers, Facebook is for friends to keep in touch and pictures and what not. Not for CBC to broadcast weekly news, I am one of these young people and I think this website is all you need, keeps me posted and your doing a great job on this! No need for facebook ( And for everyone stating about using tax payers money for Facebook, ITS FREE!!!! Thank you CBC

i think its great that CBC is choosing to including itself with facebook because it is much easier for a younger audience to keep updated with todays new. Keeping the younger audience updated in turn help with their education (social studies). Students are encouraged to read the news and having the oppurunity to do so on facebook will help with the incentive to click on a particular article and ask questions.

If CBC joins Facebook then how will the kids continue to learn only about Britney Spears and Mandy Moore.

Please leave the next generation to waist their brains by only reading about air head pop stars and nothing actually relevant.

Facebook? YouTube?
I rarely access them.

I think it's a great idea. I use Facebook regularly and would love to get connected to CBC News via Facebook. It will also be a way to keep my friends updated on what stories interest me and perhaps get them involved in discussions. It's a great alternative to the mostly silly stuff that is on Facebook right now.

Facebook is from the Pit - it's nothing less than a Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil - more evil than Good.