Is Clubhouse Useful for Reporters?
As the world came to a screeching halt in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for different entertainment outlets and apps skyrocketed. It was the perfect time for social media app, Clubhouse, to hit the market. Clubhouse is a live, audio-only, chatroom-revolved social media app where users can join rooms and listen to conversations about topics in which they’re interested. There’s no other like it. It’s an exclusive app in the fact that it’s only available to iPhone users at the time and members can only be invited by other members.
The app was created in Silicon Valley and after just a little over a year was valued at $1 billion. The exclusivity and brow-raising value of the app attracted many celebrities and politicians to have essentially large conference calls and conversations there. Notable figures such as Oprah, Elon Musk, and the mayors of Miami and San Francisco are among a few that have flocked to the app. It serves as a place where they’re able to relax and speak freely – after all, the Clubhouse policy is what is discussed on the app cannot be shared outside the app.
The privacy policy raises the question of how useful the app could be in journalism. There are powerful people having important, candid conversations, however, it’s technically against the rules to report on conversations being held. Similar to another popular social media app, Snapchat, Clubhouse leaves no trace or recording of a conversation. Users are not given the option to record or save conversations. Therefore, if a controversial statement is made by a notable public figure, it makes it extremely difficult to fact-check and make sure it was actually said.
“This is a platform designed to evade accountability,” Research and development consultant, Sarah Szalavitz said in a Bloomberg article covering Clubhouse. Szalavitz wanted to bring more transparency and attention to the app, as she felt there were things such as hate speech, racism, and radicalization that were able to go unchecked. As a result, she made it a point to extend all her app-invites to journalists and reporters.
New York Times tech reporter, Taylor Lorenz shared her thoughts on the app via Twitter, mentioning that Clubhouse “has no policy or guardrails against disinformation”. While Facebook and Instagram have put more efforts into fact-checking COVID-19 and government-related information, users on Clubhouse could virtually disseminate any kind of information, even if it’s incorrect.
Reason.com reporter, Liz Wolfe, wrote that while on Clubhouse, she listened to citizens from the European Union detail their experience of their life throughout the COVID-19 lockdowns. As a journalist, the app would be very useful in getting firsthand perspectives on different real-life experiences. It’s a great place to pick up leads and sources and to take notes, but it would also be helpful to follow-up on those on a different platform because the conversations will not be there to be listed as a source.
It may not be the number one tool for journalists when it comes to reporting, however, it can be used in other ways. Many journalists on Twitter have noted how they’ve been able to expand their network by joining rooms and chatting with other journalists. Chat rooms are a place where upcoming journalists may get the chance to share the floor with veteran journalists and get to ask questions about their career and opportunities. It’s possible for the app to roll out a feature where conversation will be able to be recorded for reference, which would make it more helpful in reporting, but the app creator, Paul Davison, has not suggested that will be happening.