Forced to tweet

[Gomer]

Got an interesting email from my ME just now and am wondering how best to respond to it.

In it the ME states that all reporters must sign up for Twitter and Facebook accounts if they have not done so previously, and they must all follow the paper on both platforms.

I've been using Twitter on a mostly professional basis for the past year but this makes me wonder if I shouldn't create new accounts. My employer also has no social media policies in place, and this is all being done while our union contact is being negotiated.

Is it reasonable to force an employee to create social media accounts? Has your paper done this? I agree using these services is important but am feeling a bit uncomfortable about it. Or maybe I just ate something I shouldn't have. It's hard to say.

 

[Ace]

If you feel uncomfortable with it, PM me your name and workplace and I'll set up an account and tweet for you.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

Got an interesting email from my ME just now and am wondering how best to respond to it.

In it the ME states that all reporters must sign up for Twitter and Facebook accounts if they have not done so previously, and they must all follow the paper on both platforms.

I've been using Twitter on a mostly professional basis for the past year but this makes me wonder if I shouldn't create new accounts. My employer also has no social media policies in place, and this is all being done while our union contact is being negotiated.

Is it reasonable to force an employee to create social media accounts? Has your paper done this? I agree using these services is important but am feeling a bit uncomfortable about it. Or maybe I just ate something I shouldn't have. It's hard to say.

What a terrible ordeal your employer has thrust upon you.

This is absolutely unfair. Talk to your Union rep immediately.

 

[Ace]

Got an interesting email from my ME just now and am wondering how best to respond to it.

In it the ME states that all reporters must sign up for Twitter and Facebook accounts if they have not done so previously, and they must all follow the paper on both platforms.

I've been using Twitter on a mostly professional basis for the past year but this makes me wonder if I shouldn't create new accounts. My employer also has no social media policies in place, and this is all being done while our union contact is being negotiated.

Is it reasonable to force an employee to create social media accounts? Has your paper done this? I agree using these services is important but am feeling a bit uncomfortable about it. Or maybe I just ate something I shouldn't have. It's hard to say.

I'm guessing that the best way to respond -- if you want to keep your job -- is the set up Twitter and Facebook accounts and follow your paper.

What you do beyond that is up to you.

 

[Gomer]

Piotr, I negotiated myself out of the union in the last negotiations five years ago. I'm technically management.

I need to understand why this could be a problem, or why I shouldn't worry. Am going to have to deal with this when I get to the office later. I think I'm more concerned with how other staff will respond.

Ace, I already have accounts and already follow my paper on each.

 

[Ace]

Don't you think it's simply reasonable to ask reporters to tweet and be on Facebook -- if only to give a snippet of breaking news and/or to provide links to the paper's stories?

We get a lot of web traffic from Facebook.

And from the reporter's perspective -- they should be adept at multimedia as a normal part of their jobs and especially if they hope to get a different job in the future.

The only problem I see is if you have some reporters who like to post stupid, inappropriate stuff. They should get a professional Twitter and Facebook account and a separate one for their personal use.

 

[NightHawk112005]

I wish it wasn't forced on me, but it's not my call. If it were up to me, Twitter would burn a fiery death in the lowest circle of hell. However, I'm going to be forced to post on the site in a few months, so I've held out as long as I possibly could. That said, I can at least hold out in my personal life. I'll post scores and news on this account to make my paper happy, but I will never have a personal Twitter account.

 

[rpmmutant]

Embrace the technology!

 

[Rhody31]

The best thing you can do is create a Facebook account for your paper and link it to your Twitter. Post everything on Facebook and it automatically shows up on Twitter, so then you don't have to repost stuff over and over again.

 

[EagleMorph]

People make this more work and hand-wringing worthy than it needs to be. Twitter and Facebook are both great ways to get additional eyeballs on your work.

Utilize RSS feeds (there are simple tutorials a Google search away) and other programs to make it easy. You might not have to do any work at all to have a basic Twitter/Facebook connection set up to link your articles. Whether you choose to interact with the readers is up to you. I suggest it, because it helps widen the audience, but it's up to your preference.

People look at this like work, but it takes all of a couple minutes to set up and utilize properly each day.

 

[ColdCat]

this is just good sense in this century to be on both. Set up professional accounts for both (separate from your personal fb so that the ME and general public don't see the pictures of you doing a keg stand back in college) and post stories and links and "hey this is what we're working on for tomorrow."
and honestly if you cover preps a lot, fb can be a good source for info. Johnny Football-Hero from Pudunk High isn't going to be as media savvy as his college counterpart and might post "man, my shoulder is killing me. not sure I can play Friday" and there you have a story.

 

[NightHawk112005]

The best thing you can do is create a Facebook account for your paper and link it to your Twitter. Post everything on Facebook and it automatically shows up on Twitter, so then you don't have to repost stuff over and over again.

I didn't know I could do that. I'll have to create a new Facebook when I'm forced to join Twitter and do it that way. I'll feel a lot better posting to Facebook than getting on Twitter. Thanks for that idea.

 

[BillyT]

See, now I am active on all those platforms, and I maintain our paper's facebook presence,

But, I think this is adding to job responsibilities, perhaps outside of working hours.

If someone's got a union contract, I do see an issue here.

I know, it's easy to do, but I am arguing principle.

 

[lantaur]

The best thing you can do is create a Facebook account for your paper and link it to your Twitter. Post everything on Facebook and it automatically shows up on Twitter, so then you don't have to repost stuff over and over again.

I didn't know I could do that. I'll have to create a new Facebook when I'm forced to join Twitter and do it that way. I'll feel a lot better posting to Facebook than getting on Twitter. Thanks for that idea.

I'd actually do it vice-versa. Post on your Twitter and have it show up on Facebook. You don't want a lot of over 140 character posts on Twitter.

 

[NightHawk112005]

The best thing you can do is create a Facebook account for your paper and link it to your Twitter. Post everything on Facebook and it automatically shows up on Twitter, so then you don't have to repost stuff over and over again.

I didn't know I could do that. I'll have to create a new Facebook when I'm forced to join Twitter and do it that way. I'll feel a lot better posting to Facebook than getting on Twitter. Thanks for that idea.

I'd actually do it vice-versa. Post on your Twitter and have it show up on Facebook. You don't want a lot of over 140 character posts on Twitter.

I couldn't care less about that. If I cause Twitter to crash, so much the better. Posting on Facebook would allow me to follow my editor's request that I get on Twitter without forcing me to actually work through Twitter.

 

[Gomer]

I already use a web app that looks at the local sports RSS feed on our website and publishes new stories there on Twitter. As for Facebook, our paper has set up a page that allows me to post as the paper, even though I'm logged in as myself.

Interestingly, I and another editor tried months ago to get people using Twitter and Facebook, pointing out that anyone can log in under the paper's Twitter feed and use it to post. My feeling is that's what should be mandated.

Oh, and none of the reporters' computers are able to access Twitter, they're all first-generation Mac Minis running Mac OS X 10.4.3 or something. Apparently you need 10.4.11 for the Twitter site to work on a browser? Anyhow the latest update is that reporters were told there's a central computer in the newsroom where they can all go to tweet...

 

[writingump]

Ridiculous. Another example of why newspapers are losing circulation and, ergo, cutting employees. It's more important to tweet, shoot video and be on Facebook than craft good copy. I realize I'm one of the last of an old breed, but it seems like they want sportswriters to do everything but write. Sheesh.

 

[dooley_womack1]

The thread title sounds like the title of some not-so-tawdry pulp novel.

 

[mustangj17]

You should have been tweeting at least a year ago. As a poster already said, embrace the technology. Build your brand as a writer.

 

[mustangj17]

Ridiculous. Another example of why newspapers are losing circulation and, ergo, cutting employees. It's more important to tweet, shoot video and be on Facebook than craft good copy. I realize I'm one of the last of an old breed, but it seems like they want sportswriters to do everything but write. Sheesh.

Meanwhile, the Huffington Post, which embraced Twitter like 2 years ago and gets a ton of traffic from it is doing great. Imagine that! You tell me what's ridiculous here. ME's wanting people to be on social networks, or college educated people still refusing to promote their brand's on social media in 2011.