30 May 3. How have other newsrooms dealt with journalists expressing a personal opinion on social media?

Ahmar Khan’s case at the CBC may have been one of the first in Canada to have been made public, but it is unlikely to be the last.  Indeed, media organisations around the world are grappling with the issue.  

• In 2012, the New York Times newly installed Jerusalem bureau chief, Jodi Rudoren, got into trouble for some of her social media posts. In particular, she’d written a few posts on Facebook expressing some personal thoughts about Palestinians.  According to the NYTs’ public editor at the time, Margaret Sullivan, the reaction to these posts was swift, and a number of people considered Rudoren’s comments insensitive.  Rudoren was not removed from her position, but an editor was assigned to work with her on her social media posts going forward.  Of that decision, Sullivan wrote: “The idea is to capitalize on the promise of social media’s engagement with readers while not exposing The Times to a reporter’s unfiltered and unedited thoughts.  Given the spotlight that the Jerusalem bureau chief is bound to attract, and Ms. Rudoren’s self-acknowledged missteps, this was a necessary step.  The alternative would be to say, “Let’s forget about social media and just write stories.” As The Times fights for survival in the digital age, that alternative was not a good one.”¹Sullivan, Margaret.  “Problems With a Reporter’s Facebook Post, and a Possible Solution.”  New York Times, 28 November, 2012.  https://publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/28/problems-with-a-reporters-facebook-posts-and-a-possible-solution/

• In September 2020, BBC presenter Bobby Friction was forced to delete a tweet critical of the U.K. government.  Frustrated with the inability to get a Covid-19 test for his son, he tweeted:  “I swear, I grew up under Thatcher but this f***ing government is a festival of faeces compared to those dark days.” ²Moore, Matthew.  “BBC Host Bobby Friction Told-off for Anti-Tory Tweet.” The Times, 12 September, 2020, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bbc-host-bobby-friction-told-off-for-anti-tory-tweet-dzxsrn0dj Friction was warned by his BBC bosses about his breach of impartiality policies, but did not lose his position.  However, the incident is credited as being one of the motivating factors behind the BBC’s decision to impose new rules on social media use, forcing editorial staff to maintain impartiality on social media.³“BBC Issues Staff With New Social Media Guidance.” BBC News, 29 October, 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54723282

In May, 2021, the Associated Press (AP) fired news associate Emily Wilder after she posted a series of pro-Palestinian tweets while she was employed by AP.  “Emily Wilder was let go because she had a series of social media posts that showed a clear bias toward one side and against another in one of the most divisive and difficult stories we cover,” Brian Carovillano, the AP’s managing editor, told CNN.  “It’s really important that we maintain our credibility on these stories…. Journalists’ safety is at stake and the AP’s credibility is at stake. Our credibility is constantly under attack. Our social media guidelines exist to protect that credibility, because protecting our credibility is the same as protecting journalists.”⁴Goldman, David.  “AP Explains Why It Fired Emily Wilder for Pro-Palestinian Tweets.” CNN, 30 May, 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/30/media/ap-emily-wilder-firing/index.html In a statement on Twitter, Wilder responded to the firing by saying that AP knew of her activism before they hired her, and that she had been the victim of a smear campaign by Republicans angry about her position on the Israel-Gaza conflict. “I am one victim to the asymmetrical enforcement of rules around objectivity and social media that has censored so many journalists — particularly Palestinian journalists and other journalists of color — before me.”⁵Wilder, Emily [@vv1lder].  “My statement on my termination from The Associated Press.” Twitter, 22 May, 2021, https://twitter.com/vv1lder/status/1396142932583874563  Wilder now works at The Press Democrat, as the criminal justice and public safety reporter.

• 1
  Sullivan, Margaret.  “Problems With a Reporter’s Facebook Post, and a Possible Solution.”  New York Times, 28 November, 2012.  https://publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/28/problems-with-a-reporters-facebook-posts-and-a-possible-solution/
• 2
  Moore, Matthew.  “BBC Host Bobby Friction Told-off for Anti-Tory Tweet.” The Times, 12 September, 2020, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bbc-host-bobby-friction-told-off-for-anti-tory-tweet-dzxsrn0dj
• 3
  “BBC Issues Staff With New Social Media Guidance.” BBC News, 29 October, 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54723282
• 4
  Goldman, David.  “AP Explains Why It Fired Emily Wilder for Pro-Palestinian Tweets.” CNN, 30 May, 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/30/media/ap-emily-wilder-firing/index.html
• 5
  Wilder, Emily [@vv1lder].  “My statement on my termination from The Associated Press.” Twitter, 22 May, 2021, https://twitter.com/vv1lder/status/1396142932583874563