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Media140: BBC double-checks journalists' 'professional' tweets

Posted: 20/05/09 By: Laura Oliver

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The BBC double-checks Twitter updates sent by journalists who use the service 'in a professional capacity', an industry gathering was told today.

Speaking at Media140, BBC Technology editor Darren Waters said tweets sent from journalists at work, for example at the recent Davos World Economics Forum, 'go through a second pair of eyes'.

"We're still really grappling with the audience in terms of how far we can go.
We haven’t editorially cracked it yet," said Waters.

Waters said the corporation must consider whether its audience is ready to see contextual tweets from BBC journalists without a certainty that they’re factually accurate.

BBC journalists are allowed to use Twitter personally with a disclaimer, however, said Waters.

Fellow panellist freelance technology journalist Bill Thompson suggested personal use of Twitter by journalists undermines their ability to report objectively.

"What was objective journalism goes because we've all engaged in Twitter as a way of sharing our lives with our readers," he said.

Journalists should apply 'common sense caution' to their use of Twitter, responded waters.

"Most people can put those [personal updates] things aside. For hundreds of years we've grappled with the idea of can you hold an opinion and be objective - the answer is yes," said Waters.

The BBC's guidelines on personal, rather than professional, use of social media and third party sites can be found here, at this link: 'If a blog makes it clear that the author works for the BBC, it should include a simple and visible disclaimer such as these are my personal views and not those of the BBC,' they state.

Update: BBC director-general Mark Thompson on the BBC's social media policy, at this link.

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