September 29, 2009
Washington Post guidelines cast social media as a minefield and that’s bad
The Post’s guidelines include a litany of “don’ts” that will discourage journalists from even trying to learn how to use social media to join growing civic conversations online.
The Washington Post’s new social media guidelines seem destined to send this message to the newsroom: Social media - Don’t go there.
The guidelines raise some legitimate issues on social media, including the fact that nothing is really private on the Web and joining political causes might compromise a journalist’s claim of neutrality. Still, the overall negative tone of the guidelines and its long litany of “don’ts” just about guarantees that many journalists will avoid social media even within the narrow confines that the Post editorial managers see fit to allow. The guidelines provide an excuse for journalists who want to avoid social media and will scare off many who would like to try out social platforms.
That’s too bad. Because journalists can add value to conversations in social and civic spaces on the Internet. To do so, they need to get into those conversations and learn how to be effective—not a small adjustments for traditional journalists who have come up on the one-way (and it’s “my way”) model of communication.
Here are some ideas for newsroom managers who want their staffs to embrace social media:
- Encourage small experiments, especially in learning the give and take of conversation online. Set parameters for tone and role play different scenarios to help journalists learn how to respond directly and conversationally.
- Distinguish between the personal and the professional while acknowledging the line is sometimes very broad and blurry. Share examples of journalists who do a good job with content and attitude while refraining from sniping or opinion that might undermine their credibility.
- Above all, deal in specifics, not abstraction. Coach around specific issues that come up. Move the discussion from the inevitable list of hypothetical things that could go wrong to the deails of what’s actually going on in social spaces and how to handle situations that might raise questions.
This sounds like a significant investment of time for busy newsrooms. So be it. Millions of people are taking the conversations into online social networks. They will be there whether the journalists come along or not.
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