Loose Tweet Sink Fleets
Recently, social media seems to have been hitting the news headlines on a daily basis. Stories range from the good to the bad and the ugly. In the past week, there have been a number of stories that, together, say something about the need for a degree of care when using social media. Let’s take a look at three of them and see how lessons can be learnt from each.
Dappy from N-Dubz
N-Dubz are currently one of Britain’s biggest pop groups and their most vocal leader is undoubtedly Costas Dinos Contostavlas, also known as Dappy. His appearance on BBC Radio 1’s Chris Moyles show last week, however, did his and the Government campaign that he supports, no good at all. An invite to listeners to text in questions prompted one listener to send an abusive text to the band (ah, the joys of modern technology, although the same thing did happen to Five Star by good old fashioned landline telephone back in the late 80s, watch it here). Dappy, in the studio, noted the sender’s number and sent her abusive messages in reply. Which, of course, came out to the media. Cue PR disaster for the band and even bigger PR disaster for the Government’s Beat Bullying campaign against cyber-bullying, who’d two months previously christened N-Dubz “great ambassadors” in the campaign. No longer, as the singer has now been axed from the campaign.
Less high profile but of equal import is the tale of one Paul Chambers, who tweeted on the closure of Doncaster’s Robin Hood airport, saying that he was “planning to blow the airport sky high” if they didn’t open on time for his flight. An innocent joke meant for friends, of course. But the joke wore thin when police arrived on Mr Chambers’ doorstep two days before his flight. A story that raises questions of civil liberty, privacy, police tactics on terrorism and use of social media.
Giles Coren
Finally, Times columnist and no stranger to controversy, Giles Coren last week used his Twitter account to complain about the noise made by his neighbour’s son playing a drum kit. That he did so using threats of death and sexual abuse propelled this story into the mainstream. Again, it’s clear that Coren was making a joke meant for friends with as dark a sense of humour as himself. However, the tone of the tweets may well have alienated even some of his most ardent followers. And I don’t suppose his neighbours will be lending him a cup of sugar any time soon.
The main lesson to be learnt from these cases is to take a cautious attitude to the use of social media. Being in the public eye in such a way means that communication by social media can be picked up by virtually anyone, be it the authorities, the media or other social media users who often play a part in drawing attention to stories for the media. And the advantage that social media gives of blurring the lines between personal and professional can also be a danger. Brands and organisations need to constantly beware that they have employees and representatives who are using social media in ways that could damage them. And because of this, it’s worth making 100% sure that these people are aware of the possibilities and dangers of the medium, as Manchester United have seemingly done.
About the Author
Paul Barnett
Paul Barnett is a Social Media Analyst for Social Media Library, responsible for developing the content within Social Media Library. Paul lives in a world of blogs, blogs and more blogs, scouring the web and plucking out the juiciest information he finds. Previous to this, he worked as a Music Press Officer. He is also a freelance writer, writing for TV and editing a music title, SWN Magazine.
Paul blogs extremely infrequently about stuff that he does and once blogged about cheese, maybe he will do again some day. Follow him on Twitter @paulbarnett1.
