New York Times Suggests Staffers Reduce Time on Twitter

Dean Baquet, the Executive Editor of the New York Times, has called for a reset in the relationship between staffers at the newspaper and Twitter, Business Insider reports, citing a memo to staffers.

The report goes on to say it is clear that a change is needed and notes three new policies which will be enacted at the media outlet. (REUTERS)

Dean Baquet, the Executive Editor of the New York Times, has called for a reset in the relationship between staffers at the newspaper and Twitter, Business Insider reports, citing a memo to staffers.

The memo says reporters “can rely too much on Twitter as a reporting or feedback tool” and “can be overly focused on how Twitter will react” to their work. Baquet adds that journalists “can make off-the-cuff responses that damage our journalistic reputations.”

The report goes on to say it is clear that a change is needed and notes three new policies which will be enacted at the media outlet. Firstly, Twitter and other social media is now “purely optional” for journalists and those who choose to stay on the various platforms are encouraged to “meaningfully reduce” the time spent on them. Secondly, there is a new Times initiative to support journalists experiencing online harassment.

Finally, the Times will no longer allow “tweets or subtweets that attack, criticize or undermine the work” of other Times journalists. Baquet says “masthead editors, department heads and our Standards department will pay close attention to how all Times journalists use social media.”