Posted on 10/13/2017 2:05:15 PM PDT by Alas Babylon!
The New York Times posted a notice on Friday urging newspaper staff to keep opinions off of their Twitter feeds and Facebook pages.
The new guidelines encourage reporters to keep using social media as a way to engage with readers and improve reporting. But the guidelines warn that posting opinions or partisan content can jeopardize credibility.
"It's important to remember that tweets about President Trump by our reporters and editors are taken as a statement from The New York Times as an institution, even if posted by those who do not cover him," Times reporter Peter Baker, who helped fine-tune the new guidelines, wrote in the notice. "The White House doesn't make a distinction. In this charged environment, we all need to be in this together."
This isn't the first time management at The New York Times -- which employs a number of high-profile reporters with extensive social media followings -- has warned about social media.
Last September, at the height of the presidential election, public editor Liz Spayd revealed that associate managing editor Phil Corbett had sent out at least two memos in three months aimed at tamping down on "editorializing" via social media.
Spayd's piece, entitled "Leave the Editorializing to Our Colleagues on the Opinion Side," urged "repeat offenders" to heed the notices.
In the updated guidelines posted Friday, executive editor Dean Baquet again pleaded for reporters to make sure they are "engaging responsibly on social media, in line with the values of our newsroom."
Along with an updated set of rules, the notice also offered advice for handling social media's notorious trolls, who have grown emboldened as Trump has ratcheted up his anti-media rhetoric.
When posts are "threatening or abusive," the guidelines recommended simply ignoring or blocking the user.
This is "especially important as a strategy for women, at a time when people think that rape memes are a good way to respond to a story they don't like by a female New York Times writer," reporter Rukmini Callimachi said in the post.
Some of the guidelines were more logistical. For example, one bullet said Times journalists should think twice before tweeting at the @AmazonHelp account to complain about a late package -- or complaining to any customer service account for that matter.
"While you may believe that you have a legitimate gripe, you'll most likely be given special consideration because of your status as a Times reporter or editor," the guideline states.
And for those Twitter users who follow Times reporters for a first-look at their scoops, that may be changing. The updated rules ask that reporters "publish exclusives on our own platforms first, not on social media" -- though there may be exceptions.
This is "especially important as a strategy for women, at a time when people think that rape memes are a good way to respond to a story they don't like by a female New York Times writer," reporter Rukmini Callimachi said in the post.
Bull. Conservatives DON'T do this.
Sounds like something a big democrat donater, say Harvey Weinstein would do, though.
NYT thinks America will forget NYT’s anti-American bias.
Too late. Cat is out of the bag
Thank You, James O’Keefe!
“...posting opinions or partisan content can jeopardize credibility”
As IF they have any credibility now. What a joke. They have no idea how far down the hole they are. Without the big pockets of Carlos Slim they would already be bankrupt.
Neither do the readers.
-PJ
NYT warns against posting political content.
HUH ???
I think it’s more the whole Weinstein thing, and how their own reporter had to file the story with another organization, because the NYT’s wouldn’t.
And the fact that they’re losing readers like a slaughtered hog bleeds out.
Does anyone know what their current circulation is? And how do you remove those numbers from all the libraries they send it to for free?
Translation: our tit’s already in the wringer, don’t give them an excuse to give it a few more cranks”
They’ve got to fire Dudich. How many more is the real question and I think they’re waiting to see if James O’Keefe has more shoes ready to drop. If it’s just one guy they’ll sacrifice him and say “problem solved”.
It’s too late for the Old Grey Whore.
No opinions allowed by staffers on Twitter and Facebook?
What about their 1st Amendment rights.
How dictatorial of the NYSlimes!
Hit a knee, lock arms and show the PTB who’s boss
“Remember, Team....we need to give the appearance of being unbiased.”
How many writers got punished for colluding on Journolist??!
“NYT thinks America will forget NYT’s anti-American bias.”
That’s exactly what’s going on. Yeah; we’re going to forget everything they’ve done to sabotage our freedom. Next month we’ll all be subscribers. :)
What they really meant is do not let the public know what left wing propogandists we really are.
They also think that blaming others for the need to inform their “reporters” is because everyone else terrible.
All of that is true and it is also true they do really good on the ground reporting in far flung places.
There’s going to be a,statue of him one day! :’)
Nice capture there, SunkenCiv. Thank you for tge links. :)
Answer: None.
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