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Wednesday, July 11, 2012

The Educated Reporter: Reporters And Social Media: Do Newsrooms Need Rules?

The Educated Reporter: Reporters And Social Media: Do Newsrooms Need Rules?:


Reporters And Social Media: Do Newsrooms Need Rules?

I was somewhat surprised to learn that the New York Times doesn't have a written policy to guide its reporters through the sometimes murky waters of social media.

In an interview with the Poynter Institute's Jeff Sonderman, Times' associate managing editor for standards Phil Corbett explains that the overarching goal was not to discourage or hamper reporters from embracing social media as a tool. Too many rules might stifle innovation, Corbett said.

At the same time, Corbett said, reporters "need to realize that social media is basically a public activity, it’s not a private activity, and that people will know that they work for the Times, that they are Times journalists, and will