<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="css/styles.css" type="text/css"> </head> <body> <table width="775" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="140"> <tr> <td style="padding-left:30px" background="images/image1.jpg" class="logo">Newswriting.com<font size=2><p><b><I> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript1.2">  </SCRIPT> </b></I></td> </tr> </table> <table width="775" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td bgcolor="#BFE1E7" width="200" valign="top"> <br> <table width="150" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3" class="text"> <tr> <td><b><a href="index.html">Home</a></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td><b><a href="about.htm">About</a></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td><b><a href="groaners.htm">Groaners</a></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td><b><a href="articles.htm">Articles</a></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td><b><a href="tools.htm">Writing Tools</a></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td><b><a href="resources.htm">Resources</a></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td><b><a href="feedback.htm">Feedback</a></b></td> </tr><td><b><BR><BR><BR><BR> <a href=http://www.newswriting.com/contact.htm><IMG SRC="images/opinion.jpg" border=0></a><BR><BR><BR>  <center> <form method="get" action="http://www.google.com/custom" target="google_window"> <table bgcolor="#BFE1E7"> <tr><td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" align="left" height="32"> <br/> <label for="sbi" style="display: none">Enter your search terms</label> <input type="text" name="q" size="16" maxlength="255" value="" id="sbi"></input> </td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" align="center"> <label for="sbb" style="display: none">Submit search form</label> <input type="submit" name="sa" value="Google Search" id="sbb"></input> <input type="hidden" name="client" value="pub-7152362702940376"></input> <input type="hidden" name="forid" value="1"></input> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="ISO-8859-1"></input> <input type="hidden" name="oe" value="ISO-8859-1"></input> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="GALT:#008000;GL:1;DIV:#000000;VLC:663399;AH:center;BGC:BFE1E7;LBGC:000000;ALC:0000FF;LC:0000FF;T:333333;GFNT:0000FF;GIMP:0000FF;FORID:1"></input> <input type="hidden" name="hl" value="en"></input> </td></tr></table> </form> </center>  <BR><BR><BR> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script></table> </td> <td style="padding-left:25px; padding-right:25px; padding-top:25px; padding-bottom:25px" class="text" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><span class="title">Tweets, Blogs And Brains<IMG SRC="images/columnpic.jpg" align="right"></span> <p><font face=arial> <BR> <BR><BR><b><I>By Abe Rosenberg</B></I><BR><BR> <BR> <BR> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">So now our anchors "tweet." Right in the middle of the news. We put their Twitter addresses up on the screen. The assignment desk editors are "tweeting" too, and not by choice. They have been strongly encouraged by management to "tweet" during breaking news, to foster a connection with the audience.</P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"><BR> </P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">Hey, I'm old school. I see how assignment editors go nuts during breaking news, juggling multiple phones, marshaling crews, funneling information to EP's and talent, coordinating phoners, overseeing feeds.... </P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"><BR> </P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">When, exactly, are they supposed to "tweet?"</P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"><BR> </P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">As for the anchors, "tweeting" is just the latest. Most are already "blogging." A few have their own websites. What's new is that now they're supposed to interrupt their mental concentration during a broadcast with this stuff. Forget about checking the wires for updates. Never mind focusing on the next story, the next interview, the last instructions yelled into their IFB's. Let's Tweet!</P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"><BR> </P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">Gimme a break.</P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"><BR> </P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">Setting aside my personal opinion that Twitter is not a "revolution" as certain young actors have described it, but more like the Spice Girls of social networking, I just wonder how journalism is furthered by having professionals interrupt their work to send and receive half-sentences in cyberspace. </P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"><BR> </P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">I may be wrong, but I strongly suspect Twitter-itis is a temporary condition that will be cured by common sense and a bad business model. We'll see. In the meantime it's a perfect opportunity to open a wider discussion about the proper use of social networking tools in the newsroom. <I>The Wall Street Journal</I> has done us all a great favor by codifying some of the guidelines in a beautiful memo recently circulated to the staff. <I>Editor and Publisher</I> reprinted it, and I'm posting part of it here, (the rest of the memo addresses the broader subject of outside activities in general). I'll keep it on the site for awhile, so we can take a little time and absorb it:</P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"><BR> </P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"><BR> </P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"><I>Online Activities</I></P> <P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"><BR> </P> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"><I>The use of social and business networking sites by reporters and editors of the Journal, Newswires and MarketWatch is becoming more commonplace. These ground rules should guide all news employees' actions online, whether on Dow Jones sites or in social-networking, e-mail, personal blogs, or other sites outside Dow Jones:</I></P> <UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"></P> </UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">Never misrepresent yourself using a false name when you're acting on behalf of your Dow Jones publication or service. When soliciting information from readers and interview subjects you must identify yourself as a reporter for the Journal, Newswires or MarketWatch and be tonally neutral in your questions.</P> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"> </P> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">Base all comments posted in your role as a Dow Jones employee in the facts, drawing from and citing your reporting when appropriate. Sharing your personal opinions, as well as expressing partisan political views, whether on Dow Jones sites or on the larger Web, could open us to criticism that we have biases and could make a reporter ineligible to cover topics in the future for Dow Jones.</P> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"> </P> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">Don't recruit friends or family to promote or defend your work.</P> <UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"></P> </UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">Consult your editor before "connecting" to or "friending" any reporting contacts who may need to be treated as confidential sources. Openly "friending" sources is akin to publicly publishing your Rolodex.</P> <UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"></P> </UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">Let our coverage speak for itself, and don't detail how an article was reported, written or edited.</P> <UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"></P> </UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">Don't discuss articles that haven't been published, meetings you've attended or plan to attend with staff or sources, or interviews that you've conducted.</P> <UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"></P> </UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">Don't disparage the work of colleagues or competitors or aggressively promote your coverage.</P> <UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"></P> </UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">Don't engage in any impolite dialogue with those who may challenge your work -- no matter how rude or provocative they may seem.</P> <UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"></P> </UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">Avoid giving highly-tailored, specific advice to any individual on Dow Jones sites. Phrases such as "Travel agents are saying the best deals are X and Y..." are acceptable while counseling a reader "You should choose X..." is not. Giving generalized advice is the best approach.</P> <UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"></P> </UL> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">All postings on Dow Jones sites that may be controversial or that deal with sensitive subjects need to be cleared with your editor before posting.</P> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"> </P> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">Business and pleasure should not be mixed on services like Twitter. Common sense should prevail, but if you are in doubt about the appropriateness of a Tweet or posting, discuss it with your editor before sending.</P> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"><BR> </P> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in"><BR> </P> <P ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in">Comments?</P> <BR> <BR> <BR><BR><BR> <P><I>To read previous columns, visit the <a href="archive.htm">Archive.</I></P> </td> </tr> </table> <table width="775" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="30"> <tr> <td class="text" align="center" bgcolor="#D0ECF1">Copyright 2000-2009 Abe Rosenberg. All rights reserved.</td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>