E-Media Tidbits

Daniel Farrell, via Flickr (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license) I found this recent photo of U.S. Senators Barack Obama and Jim Webb on Flickr -- and posted it here entirely legally.

As I mentioned recently, Yahoo's YouWitness News is using Creative Commons-licensed photos posted by Flickr users to illustrate news coverage.

Although Yahoo owns Flickr, any news organization -- or anyone at all, in fact -- is free to use images and other content bearing an appropriate Creative Commons license. You also can find these images on other photo-sharing services as well, but Flickr makes it easy. Keep this option in mind when you're searching for options to enhance your online or print coverage.

To find these photos on Flickr, go to Flickr's advanced search page and enter your search criteria (such as Barack Obama). Scroll down to the bottom of the search page and check the box that says "Only search within Creative Commons-licensed photos." If your site is monetized by ads (even just Google Adsense), subscription access (even just for archives), or other means, then you probably want to play it ultra-safe and also check the "Find content to use commercially" box as well. Also, if you plan to crop, montage, or otherwise manipulate or remix found images, check the "Find content to modify, adapt, or build upon" box.

I checked all three of those boxes to find the free-to-use photo above of U.S. Senator Barack Obama at a Nov. 2 rally for now-Senator-elect Jim Webb. It was taken by Daniel Farrell. Here's the original photo, which I found in my Flickr search. I downloaded the large version and cropped it.

Note that my credit line for that photo provides attribution that complies with the terms of the CC Attribution 2.0 license, which Farrell designated for his work.

There are a few possible pitfalls to watch out for, of course:

• Is the subject of the photo copyrighted? If the photo is of, say, a TV screen showing a newscast or a newspaper page showing a staff photo, then you still might be liable for copyright violation despite the terms of the CC license listed on Flickr or elsewhere.

• Does the Flickr user really have rights to the image? Unfortunately, many Flickr users post to their accounts images that they did not take and don't have permission to use. In that case, their CC license is invalid. If you're not sure, ask before using.

• Is the image genuine? Remember, any photo (even from allegedly reputable pro photojournalists) can be faked or altered. If you have doubts about authenticity, investigate before running the image.
• Protect yourself.  Save or print the screen where you found the photo that shows the CC license notation. (Furl is a great way to keep such evidence.) That way, if the photographer later tries to revoke the CC license, you can show it was in effect on the date you published the photo.

Whenever you use a CC-licensed photo that you find on Flickr or elsewhere, it's a good idea to leave a comment or send a note to the photographer thanking them and giving the link to where you ran it. That's more than just being polite -- it also can prevent criticism that you're exploiting unsuspecting amateurs. In photography, as elsewhere, appearances count.