ASNE Issues Guide to '10 Best Practices for Social Media'

In this age where both the Twitterverse and Facebookland are becoming serious tools for journalists, The American Society of News Editors is attempting to make it easier for their members who are wrestling with some sticky situations when it comes to the social networks.

They've reviewed the social media rules of leading mainstream news organizations and came away with these 10 key teachable moments:

1. Traditional ethics rules still apply online.
2. Assume everything you write online will become public.
3. Use social media to engage with readers, but professionally.
4. Break news on your website, not on Twitter.
5. Beware of perceptions.
6. Independently authenticate anything found on a social networking site.
7. Always identify yourself as a journalist.
8. Social networks are tools not toys.
9. Be transparent and admit when you’re wrong online.
10. Keep internal deliberations confidential.

Here is a link to the entire 50-page document.

For a lively discussion about these guidelines, click HERE.