Be Careful what you Comment on

By: Sarah Harrison

(© 2009 The Associated Press)  

Photographer: Kiichiro Sato

Ohio State University recently decided to reopen the university Facebook page for comments after temporarily blocking all wall posts.  OSU prohibited all facebook comment posts to the university's page after recent negative attention to the page and university.   That attention came in March when the Associated Press reported that OSU President E. Gordon Gee, “known as an influential cheerleader for green energy jobs” is also a member of one of the environmentalists’ top energy targets- Massey Energy Co. 

  In response, OSU graduate student Mark Stickle posted a question on OSU’s Facebook page asking for help understanding Gee’s connections.  OSU immediately responded to the negative attention by deleting the original postings by Stickle and blocking all further comments from appearing on the well of the university’s Facebook page.  The black began on April 1st.

By April 3, the university chose to reopen its page to all further comments.  According to the university, officials “are trying to stay on top of the social media trends and value the participation [they] are receiving.” 

 

Questions:

1.  What implications could the ban on Facebook have for further media regulations and free speech?

2.  What legal basis would the graduate student have for arguing that his comment could not be deleted?  What legal basis could the university use for the ban on the facebook comments for its page?