The BBC will ignore image copyright if it’s “in the public interest”
So the BBC have clarified their comments about using pictures from Social Media sites (such as Twitter) without checking licencing conditions or attempting to contact the owner: …where there is a strong public interest and often time constraints, such as a major news story like the recent Norway attacks or rioting in England, we may use a photo before we’ve cleared it. So it’s publish first and hope nobody notices? Do they keep trying to make contact after publication? Or hope nobody makes a fuss? Or invoices them? A quick glance at the Freelance Fees Guide for online pictures suggests
