The explosion of web-based social media tools has, for better or for worse, opened up mainstream media to the realm of information cacophony and a unique set of challenges.
Last year when the CNN fired veteran journalist and its senior editor of Middle East affairs, Octavia Nasr, for publishing a Twitter message about one of the most prominent Lebanese shiite spiritual leaders, said to be involved in the founding of the Hezbollah militia, it opened it a fresh debate of what is acceptable behaviour for mainstream media professionals on social media platforms.
Sure, Twitter, with its strict 140 character limit, is probably not the best medium to make a nuanced point about complicated political issues. However, as reporters and journalists are encouraged to incorporate social media in their line of work, whether in the form of tweeting live from the field or/and engaging with an audience via social media tools, they are then expected to carry the additional burden of maintaining their public and professional persona on social media platforms at all times.
Strictly speaking this would mean that the ideal reporter would hide his/her personal opinions about the subject matter, or preferably have none at all, in order to appear objective. If that were the case, journalists would have to be robots not humans, because as a living person, they too have perspectives and opinions on the subjects that make up their work and passion.
SYED OBAID ALI SHAH
Lahore