Using others' images: err on the side of caution

When creating multimedia presentations, such as slidecasts, it is tempting to simply pull photos from a Google search. But did you know not all photos in an image search can be treated as a free for all?

Use of copyrighted materials without permission can result in unpleasant results, like legal action against those who do so. That is why it's best to err on the side of caution. What do I mean by this? If you are going to make a mistake, make one that shows you were only being too careful.

That's where Creative Commons comes into play. Ever see a photo or material marked with "CC"? That's denotes the material has been licensed for open use by its creator, unlike copyrighted ("C") work that says "all rights reserved". CC images and material can even be modified (cropped, annotated, etc.)

Creative Commons can be searched online to provide you with material that is safe to use freely. In addition, fair use allows individuals to incorporate copyrighted material if it is used for analytic or educational purposes, rather than commercial. It's reassuring to know safeguards are in place, but one's best bet is to first peruse through material that is intended to be used by anyone. For more information, see Creative Commons' about page.

I'm working on a slidecast for my business writing course. We're analyzing how a local branch of a realty company uses social media. Below are some images from the Creative Commons database that I've found under the keyword "social media" and intend to use in my presentation.

Helpful Hashtags

#LiveWhereYouLove is Nest Realty Wilmington's unique hashtag, a spinoff from the commonly used realty phrase, "love where you live", that reinforces the company's culture and brand. 

This tag not only is recognized internally by brokers, but externally by clients as well. It is important to have creative hashtags to unify the target audience.

Note: To my knowledge, my use of the Twitter logo is ethical. Their brand assets webpage states that the actual logo should be used when referencing Twitter, rather than adaptations of the bird image. The logos are even available to download from that page. 

I should have provided the source from which I found Chernov's quotation. It was found in a document written in 2014 by Lauren Drell titled "Hashtags, infographics and videos! Oh my!" Her work includes a copyright note at its end.

According to "Measuring Fair Use: The Four Factors", fair use is determined by the intended purpose and nature of using the work, as well as the amount of non-original content. My purpose is to inform and motivate on a non-commercial scale. For this reason, I feel that my use is ethical.

An exemplary slidecast

Until taking this Business Writing course, I was unfamiliar with the term slidecast. So what is it? A slidecast is basically a narrated slideshow, or presentation that requires no speaker/presenter or audience interaction (one does not have to click through slides).

Take a look at this slidecast by YouTube user Billy Phillips, titled "Where's God? A SlideCast: Part One", below.

Impressive slidecast example:

Even if you don't agree with Phillips' point of view, you have to agree that his design and content choices are effective. Additionally, the rhetorical approaches of logos and pathos are convincing. 

Logos is applied when Phillips proposes data based in reason, as opposed to traditional or unfounded points. Pathos was applied in asking viewers to remember their childhoods. I also feel pathos was a part of the whole presentation, because I think people tend to have strong emotional ties to religious beliefs.

By posing rhetorical questions from slide one, Phillips engages audiences and holds their attention throughout the presentation. The question posed in the title, about finding God, is not answered in this presentation. Phillips holds his answer to the question in part two of this slidecast series. This move is a great way for him to intrigue viewers even more as well as increase the views for his YouTube channel and other videos.

I chose this slidecast as an exemplary presentation because of the captivating imagery, memorable arrangement, use of rhetoric, and meaningful content.