Does your company have a social media policy regarding the use of your company branded Twitter account? Well The Washington Post has just found out that they need to create a social media policy that protects both their company name and the integrity of their staff writers.
Check out the controversial article that prompted this whole issue of using a company branded Twitter account to defend the publishing of an article. “Christian compassion requires the truth about harms of sexuality,” by Tony Perkins.
This online article was written by a guest writer. The article argued that homosexuality is a mental health issue, which prompted GLAAD, a gay activist group to complain about the article via Twitter and on its site. Responding to GLAAD’s public tweets, a staffer from The Washington Post tried to defend the publishing of the article as giving a platform for “both sides” of the debate. The response only fueled more frustration from GLAAD, which took to Twitter
to say that there aren’t two sides to the issue at all.
The Washington post has since sent out a memo to its staff by Post Managing Editor Raju Narisettithat that tried to explain the use/misuse of that company branded Twitter account. See the full article and memo via Mashable.
I for one truly believe that every company, both large and small should have a social media policy. Twitter has grown from something that was considered to be just a passing fad to a communication power house. If large companies like the Washington Post have to rethink their use of Twitter, what should smaller companies do to insure that they make the right moves with social media as a whole.
So, has this issue sparked a thought on how your company should conduct itself on Twitter. Have your employees spoken out of turn using your company branded Twitter account? Isn’t it amazing how this new form of communication has made us have to think about how to respond to certain issues that may come up both now and in the future.
Please post your comments about this growing issue below.
All the best
JB