Can I post my own presentation?
Posted by: Dean Shareski in Conferences, creativecommonsI presented yesterday to the Western Staff 2007 Conference, a gathering of provincial teachers’ association executive members from 4 western provinces and territories. I recorded my presentation and right at the start I let everyone know it was being recorded and that I would be posting it later on my blog.
The session went quite well, there was some good discussion and received some very good feedback. Today I received an email requesting I not post my presentation. The presentation did contain the voices of the participants but in no way were identified.
I contacted Stephen Downes who immediately responded this way:
I would say that you have the right to post your words but not those of the others, unless you stated you were recording it and posting it ahead of time.
My sense is that most of the participants would not object and it may be only one or two that have a problem. So should I post it? Has anyone ran into this before? What are the legalities/rights surrounding this?
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February 6th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
IANAL but I’m pretty sure that it would be illegal to have any identifiable public presentation without their permission. If you wanted to put someone’s picture online, for example, you would be legally obligated to have their written consent, usually some sort of media release form. Since it could be argued that someone’s voice is identifiable to people who were outside the presentation, you legally need permission. They probably wouldn’t bother to take you to court if you didn’t have their permission, but that is the law (as far as I know and understand it)
But aside from the legal issues, there is a moral consideration as well. I think that if someone, for whatever reason, does not want his/her picture, voice, video image or other media representation in the public sphere, it is courteous to recognize and abide by that request.
Maybe you could listen to the recording, and paraphrase some of the points made in the conversation. No one is identified, but you can share some of the ideas with the rest of us.
February 6th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
I’m no lawyer, nor am I Canadian, so I’m not sure that I can comment on the legality of your situation — but if you’re talking about adults in a public place, with no expectation of privacy, I think you’re legally okay to post the audio, provided there’s no disclosure of protected info — which here in the US means no student specific educational data — and that’s not a clear category, anyway. However, you’re not making too many friends by doing so — despite the fact that you announced your intentions ahead of time. I wonder what the objection was — if it was to their individual voice being included, and it’s not too much trouble, perhaps you could snip out the section that’s problematic.
Or just give us your section and a paraphrase of the conversation, as Rob recommended.
I guess, unless it’s just something that must, be shared, and it’s worth burning a bridge over, I’d not put the objector online.
February 7th, 2007 at 5:19 am
Check the registration page for the conference where the attendees signed up. Usually there is some language written in that states audio, video and still imagery will be taken. If that is there then legally you are able to post your presentation.
February 7th, 2007 at 9:49 am
A little more information might be helpful… I attended the session in question and am able to confirm that Dean did, in fact, indicate at the beginning of the session that he would be recording the session so as to be able to podcast it later. At the time, Dean did not ask for permission to do so, but rather, simply informed the participants of his intent. If there were any objections in the minds of participants, they were not voiced.
The session was an excellent description of the power of blogs and podcasting and what I noted was a growing sense of appreciation among the participants of the powerful communication instrument which exists in the blog/cast sphere.
For many in the audience it was there first exposure to the concept and it’s possibilities… hence, one might ask whether or not they would have been ABLE to make an informed decision about permission at the beginning of the session. In other words, Dean did such a good job of expanding their understanding that HAD THEY KNOWN at the beginning of the session what blogs and podcasting was all about, they might very well have voiced their objections, or at least carefully monitored their voices/participation. By the end of the session, some participants did indicate their unease and came forward with a request that the session NOT be posted.
Of note, as well, is the understanding that participants had regarding the nature of the session and the nature of the conference itself. The Western Staff gathering is, essentially, a staff meeting… more a gathering of staff to have “in camera”, closed door sessions where open, honest, and frank discussion where the audience is all known. The podcast changed, significantly, the nature of the audience… The issue is not so much “content containment”, but rather, a switch of norms for the meeting… norms which have been well understood by the participants for over a decade.
Dean told the story of the GM CEO who has a blog and invites discussion on various topics and ideas… I believe that notion will soon be appearing… initiated by teacher organizations that want to engage their members in meaningful discussions about stuff that matters, and IS ALREADY BEING TALKED ABOUT. I don’t think, however, that the GM CEO podcasts his corporate/strategic staff meetings… the notion of audience has everything to do with the appropriateness of the blog/cast.
One other consideration brought up by one of the participants. What kind of “ownership” does a presenter have of the “interaction benefit factor” which can occur in a presentation. In other words, key questions from the audience gave Dean the opportunity to expand his presentation and provide a ‘better’ show… something that may NOT have happened without the willing participation of the attendees. Dean’s responses to the questions further proved his worth as a presenter… his skills were evident and his knowledge was clearly demonstrated, in part, because of the challenging questions by the attendees. Here’s the question, “What part of that is owned by the attendee?” What is Dean’s responsibility to the attendee… someone who essentially helps him hone his skills and perfect his presentation?
many thanks for the thoughtful responses…
February 14th, 2007 at 8:41 am
I know this is an older subject now, but I wonder, could you edit the podcast to include just your portion or maybe just mute out the other comments and questions? Would that take too much out of the podcast? I’m anxious to hear it because I need to do something along these lines for my teachers and I just don’t know how to begin!