Tuesday, June 8, 2010

New AP Social Media Guidelines

The recently released 2010 edition of the AP Stylebook acknowledges the growing importance of social media with the addition of a Social Media Guidelines section. AP announced last week:

"The new Social Media Guidelines section includes information and policies on using tools like Facebook and Twitter, how journalists can apply them to their work and how to verify sources found through them."

The section also includes 42 new entries relating to social media. Some of the new entries include: app, blogs, click-throughs, friend and unfriend, metadata, RSS, search engine optimization, smart phone, trending, widget and wiki. A list of acronyms commonly used in text messaging and instant messaging is also included.

With the widespread use of social media as a profession tool, it seems necessary to have some guidelines for using it correctly. The new guidelines may also be helpful to those who have not yet mastered the use of social media.

Will you be picking up a copy of the 2010 edition to get up to speed on the new social media guidelines?

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