Social media sites have become treasure troves for journalists seeking public opinion on the issues of the day.
Previously, hacks were obliged to leave the newsroom and conduct face-to-face interviews to gauge public opinion. Now it can be as easy as a copy-and-paste job from Twitter or Facebook.
For some, this is a sign that journalists are embracing the cutting-edge world of new media. For others, it's just plain laziness.
Whatever your stance, the use of social media comments throws up an important ethical question: should journalists be allowed to republish a tweet or Facebook message without the permission of its author? Is the reuse of comments fair game, or - to use a Twitter colloquialism denoting contempt or displeasure - #fail?
While many social media users enjoy seeing their comments republished elsewhere, some object to it.
So is it right that a casual tweet intended for a select group of people could be republished on the front page of the next day's newspaper?
This issue was raised after The National published a story about a Dubai gym that caused uproar (and garnered a great deal of publicity) over an advertising campaign that made reference to the Holocaust.
The article quoted responses from the public posted to various social networking sites, along with the views of several people interviewed in person.
Following the publication of the article, one Facebook user contacted the newspaper, objecting that she was not consulted before the publication of a comment she had posted on Facebook.
The National complied with the user's request by removing her name from the article, although it did not remove her comment.
Some argue comments posted to Facebook, and most on Twitter, are in the public domain.
So does that mean journalists should have free rein to broadcast these comments in newspapers, magazines and on television, without seeking permission from their authors?
Twitter users are divided over whether it is acceptable for journalists to republish their tweets.
I posed this ethical question on Twitter this week, and received dozens of responses. To prevent offending those on either side of the argument, The National is not naming anyone who commented on the issue.
The majority said it was acceptable for journalists to republish tweets in other media. Many said comments by Twitter users - at least those who have not protected their accounts - were in the public domain, and so could be quoted elsewhere.
Others cautioned that, while tweets could be republished by journalists, their meaning should not be misrepresented. The republication of an individual tweet may not convey irony, or a joke directed by the author to a specific audience.
However, some said it was a big #fail for journalists to republish tweets without seeking permission.
One argued that it was akin to republishing a private conversation made in a public place.
More than one commentator said the copyright for each tweet technically belongs to its author.
That is true: according to Twitter's terms of use, "What's yours is yours - you own your content."
However, by writing a tweet, you authorise Twitter, its users and partners to redistribute your content. With that in mind, a journalist republishing a tweet - even if not via an embedded Twitter link - could argue that constitutes fair use, especially for stories in the public interest.
The issue is murkier in the case of Facebook, where - unlike with Twitter followers - a user must actively agree to friend requests from others.
Yet despite Facebook being perceived as a more private network than Twitter, many messages are still available in the wider public domain - and so, arguably, are also fair game for journalists to republish.
With the rise of social media, the argument over the republication of posts by journalists is likely to rage on.
But whatever your stance on the issue, social media users should bear in mind the following statement in Twitter's terms and conditions: "What you say on Twitter may be viewed all around the world instantly. You are what you tweet."
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