Publishers Attempt To Civilize Social Media, Maybe Reporters Too

Michael Hedges May 9, 2022 Follow on Twitter

Just about every employer sets out rules and expectations of employees. The bigger the employer, the bigger the HR department, the bigger employee handbook with rules meant to keep the workplace calm and orderly. Sometimes employers extend the rules - and their concerns - outside the workplace; don’t get arrested, don’t embarrass the boss. Civil liberties advocates and unions try to keep limits on intrusive employer rule making.

In this regard, the media world is just like schools and steel mills. But being in the post-modern world of hyper-individualism, employee guidelines are being adjusted. Dress codes are out, dress codes are in, office hours are out, office hours are in. Swearing at the boss is always out, almost.

Major publishers have recently revised employee guidelines on social media usage. This is entirely coincident with Elon Musk’s takeover bid for Twitter. Everybody knows Elon because he has 80 million Twitter followers. And, too, Elon is known as a “no rules” kind of guy, sometimes called “libertarian” or “free speech absolutist.” It means the same. Twitter is not the world’s biggest social media platform but it is a big deal for news reporters and, it seems, those in need of an ego fix.

UK publisher Guardian News Media (GNM), with a significant global English-language presence, revised its social media guidelines for all staff, noted Neiman Lab (May 5). Totally incomprehensible to Zoomers (formerly known as Gen Z), GNM staff was reminded that social media is optional. “You are not expected to have a presence or a following on social media.” GNM staff was also admonished to not pick fights with colleagues or, of course, the company on social media. “This is a serious matter.”

Editorial employees - aka reporters and editors - were asked to be “mindful of blurring fact and opinion when using social media.” In other words, keep your opinions to yourself. Above all, remember what the job is. “As a journalist your job is to break news for GNM, on GNM’s platform, not on social media. Only tweet breaking news if the news editor is happy for you to do that, rather than report it for the website.”

The New York Times revised its social media guidelines about a month ago. The memo to staff, sent by executive editor Dean Baquet, referred to a “Twitter reset,” noted Vanity Fair (April 14). As with the GNM guidelines sent this month, Mr. Baquet reminded all that Twitter is “purely optional for Times journalists” and “meaningfully reduce how much time you’re spending on the platform.” Bad Twitter behavior, he added, “undercuts the reputation of The Times as well as our efforts to foster a culture of inclusion and trust.” Two well-known NYT reporters recently got into a very public Twitter feud about “public branding.” Mr. Baquet, who is leaving his post later this year, offered, also, that Twitter is “a big deal reporting tool.” The Washington Post issued its own similar social media directive days later.

On this subject, tucked into an analogy everybody can understand, Columbia Journalism Review’s Jon Alsop (April 8) advised “saying that Twitter as a whole is bad for journalism is a bit like saying that water is bad for swimming. Spending all your time in it is usually ill-advised, as is worrying too much about the sharks, and you can certainly wash up against a whole lot of garbage. But it can also be refreshing; you might even dive deep and find a pearl.”

He continued: “The good points in the Times’ new guidance could easily be covered by a ‘bad journalism’ policy. Ironically, in limiting its lens to Twitter, it falls into the Twitter-obsession trap that the Times is telling its journalists to avoid.”

See also...

• Hot Topics - Social Media

• Hot Topics - Journalism

• Hot Topics - Digital Transitions

Media in Spain - Diverse and Challenged – new

Media in Spain is steeped in tradition. yet challenged by diversity. Publishers hold great influence, broadcasters competing. New media has been slow to rise and business models for all are under stress. Rich in language and culture, Spain's media is reaching into the future and finding more than expected. 123 pages, PDF. January 2018

Order here

The Campaign Is On - Elections and Media

Elections campaigns are big media events. Candidates and issues are presented, analyzed and criticized in broadcast and print. Media is now more of a participant in elections than ever. This ftm Knowledge file reports on news coverage, advertising, endorsements and their effect on democracy at work. 84 pages. PDF (September 2017)

Order here

Fake News, Hate Speech and Propaganda

The institutional threat of fake news, hate speech and propaganda is testing the mettle of those who toil in news media. Those three related evils are not new, by any means, but taken together have put the truth and those reporting it on the back foot. Words matter. This ftm Knowledge file explores that light. 48 pages, PDF (March 2017)

Order here

More ftm Knowledge files here

Become an ftm Individual or Corporate Member to order Knowledge Files at no charge. JOIN HERE!