Comments on: BBC News appoints a Twitter newbie as Social Media Editor

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By: The Economist ventures deeper into social media | The City Herald

The Economist ventures deeper into social media | The City Herald — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:08:07 +0000

[...] sites. In October 2009 the BBC has appointed Alex Gubbay as its dedicated social media editor. The TechCrunch.com reported: Alex Gubbay will start his new role as BBC News’ first Social Media Editor in January [...]

By: The Economist ventures deeper into social media — The City Herald

The Economist ventures deeper into social media — The City Herald — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:58:41 +0000

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http://www.vimpel-dv.ru — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:16:45 +0000

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TravelV3 » Is Social Media In The Travel Business A Complete Waste of Time? — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:34:03 +0000

[...] understand how social media actually works, and as many so-called social media consultants and managers begin to understand what social media actually is. At the same time, there are some great social travel ideas out there which may mature prove me [...]

By: Rob

Rob — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:41:24 +0000

Um, that’s because the BBC isn’t exclusively a news organisation, unlike the other organisations you mention. It wouldn’t be editorially inappropriate to put news on there, instead I imagine they’re just keeping hold of the general BBC name to prevent it being hijacked.

Nearest would be http://twitter.com/bbcnews which more interestingly is a collaboration with the online developer community via backstage.bbc.co.uk

For an example of where he BBC is using Twitter in a more appropriate editorial context perhaps have a look at this:
http://twitter.com/the_4th_floor

By: Ari Herzog

Ari Herzog — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:39:49 +0000

While not an “online novelty,” I am old enough to remember the commercial launch of microwave ovens and the time a salesman knocked on our door to sell me and my family on the idea of buying a microwave.

Those are still around — and being innovated for more sales.

You can knock Twitter all you want, but as an online media tool for content creation and distribution, it’s more vogue than Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and YouTube, to name the bigger tools of its ilk. I have no doubt we’ll be on the bandwagon of something else in three years, but news creation is in the present, not the future, so why look ahead?

I have no problem with people not using Twitter. But I have a big question — which goes to the heart of BBC as an organization — when http://twitter.com/bbc has not sent one tweet in light of http://twitter.com/cnn, http://twitter.com/nytimes, http://twitter.com/latimes, etc.

This is not about the new social media manager for the BBC. I’m sure he’ll do great. But he has a tough mountain to climb.

By: dasein

dasein — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:51:07 +0000

Actually, I’d say that Alex Gubbay was smart not to dive into Twitter. The notion of “citizen journalism” via Twitter is uninformed nonsense, given that Twitter is consistently the source of unfounded rumours and misinformation during most news events. Moreover, it generates so much noise and diversion that I’d be worried Alex would not be doing his job if he spent time on Twitter.

Twitter will not be around in three years. Hybrids of it may survive, but it remains a cultural novelty. Maybe anyone older than 25 will remember the online novelties that appeared with breathless fanfare and then evaporated a few years later.

By: dasein

dasein — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:46:02 +0000

Most of the “citizen journalism” coming from Twitter is error-filled rubbish, or the viral spreading of rumour, or just plain conjecture.

Give me a professionally written dispatch, vetted by experienced editors, any day, even if I have to wait a bit longer to get the news.

By: dasein

dasein — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:44:20 +0000

Agree, Alex.

Twitter is not the centre of the universe, of social activity for most people, or of digital potentials, contrary to the obsession that some writers with TechCrunch seem to have.

In my humble opinion, Twitter for the most part generates excessive noise and static, and the day I shut down my Twitter account is the day priorities returned to reality.

Twitter is good for some things, but it is not an essential tool for navigating the digital world, personally or professionally.

By: SteveK

SteveK — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:26:51 +0000

Am I missing the point here, are people judging this guys ability to do the job based solely on whether or not he had a twitter account?
OR, do people have access to the job specification and his CV?

By: Mutimba Mazwi

Mutimba Mazwi — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:43:35 +0000

I think the debate should be about whether Twitter forms an important part of the social media community

The answer is yes. Twitter, despite many models emerging along the same lines, will remain trendy for many more years to come.

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:03:32 +0000

Well, you sounded distinctly like you were expressing unfounded doubts about his expertise to me.

“managing a publication is not comparable to managing how the publication could use social media”

It’s an awful lot more comparable than is merely being a user of that social media.

To use your analogy, if you’re an Indianapolis 500 driver, it doesn’t qualify you to run the team.

By: Ari Herzog

Ari Herzog — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:45:02 +0000

Yes, Rob, I understand what editorial direction involves. But not knowing if he’s a micro- or macro- manager, the key is managing a publication is not comparable to managing how the publication could use social media.

Again, I admire his passion and I don’t doubt his expertise; but Peter Edwards commented after you and I mentioned above, understanding Twitter is far different from understanding Bebo or Facebook. Especially when his peers are already there.

Call me a skeptic.

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:34:58 +0000

Ari, you do realise he means editing in the sense of “editorial”, not editing in the sense of opening up Notepad and fiddling with some HTML?

By: Ari Herzog

Ari Herzog — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:23:29 +0000

“Rant duly allowed, but I would argue that my track record editing the BBC Sport website, where we have been constantly thinking at how best to use and integrate social media into what we do, demonstrates I do have relevant knowledge and experience.”

Website editing is hardly relative to social media managing. That’s like saying you can drive the Indianapolis 500 because you know how to change a tire.

By: BBC | BBC News appoints a Twitter newbie as Social Media Editor

BBC | BBC News appoints a Twitter newbie as Social Media Editor — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:58:17 +0000

[...] a newbie. As a result, let’s just say that there’s a bit of a Twitter storm brewing. Read more No TweetBacks yet. (Be the first to Tweet this post) Tweet This Post Plurk This [...]

By: BBC | BBC News appoints a Twitter newbie as Social Media Editor | Good News To Use

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:46:03 +0000

[...] a newbie. As a result, let’s just say that there’s a bit of a Twitter storm brewing. Read more AKPC_IDS += "284,";Popularity: unranked [?]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "BBC | BBC News appoints a [...]

By: rockyc

rockyc — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:12:11 +0000

Not sure how fair it is to bash BBC for “hiring from within” – they might otherwise have been pummeled for hiring someone who did not know Twitter OR the BBC, but hopefully they have assigned someone who is up to the task.

By: Alex Gubbay

Alex Gubbay — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:51 +0000

Hi Ari (and thanks Rob!),

Rant duly allowed, but I would argue that my track record editing the BBC Sport website, where we have been constantly thinking at how best to use and integrate social media into what we do, demonstrates I do have relevant knowledge and experience.

That’s not to say I or we know it all, far from it in fact. But if nothing else, hopefully shows that I am at least familiar with the various technologies and how we might work more with them, with Twitter very much a crucial network and platform.

Happy to chat more, especially once I get started in the New Year.

Cheers

By: Peter Edwards

Peter Edwards — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:39 +0000

Twitter is a crucial component of News Online.
Its primary role is in breaking news. Consider how Michael Jackson’s death was reported there first. However, it is also as part of a move towards collaborative news. Recall the Iranian 2009 presidential election and the many Iranian people who read and contributed to BBC Persian News via Twitter and YouTube when their government blocked website access. The US government begged Twitter not to risk doing any software updates in case it brought the site down, in a sure sign that Twitter had come of age.
This has implications for the future of journalism. There are ongoing debates on paid versus “free” news and expert versus amateur reportage and opinion that are shaking up the profession of journalism.
For example see this anlysis of Rupert Murdoch’s attack on Google and the BBC: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Foremski/?p=946
Although the use of Twitter may or may not be a big deal, understanding and making use of it organisationally is one. The Guardian has not been slow off the blocks and in fact @guardiantech now has 1.4 million followers on Twitter. I would say the BBC is playing catch-up and that is why the experience of the appointee matters.

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:51:42 +0000

Ari,
it seems rather insulting to Mr Gubbay that you assume he has a “lack of knowing different social media tools” and is “not up to speed on the various technologies”. Just because he didn’t have a Twitter account doesn’t mean he didn’t know about Twitter or use it.
Perhaps he just decided he didn’t want to foist his own personal opinions and the tedious minutiae of his daily life onto the world until he had something to offer?

By: Livejazmin » Archives » En ce moment sur ma passion online !

Livejazmin » Archives » En ce moment sur ma passion online ! — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:31:33 +0000

[...] BBC News appoints a Twitter newbie as Social Media Editor [...]

By: Ari Herzog

Ari Herzog — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:53:21 +0000

Hi Alex, thanks for chiming in so maybe you’ll allow me to rant for a moment.

I respect your lack of knowing different social media tools, and like another commenter mentioned above, everyone doesn’t know about Bebo so Twitter ought to perhaps be seen in the same light.

But… Bebo and Twitter have different audiences, purposes, and goals.

When you consider news breaks on Twitter before any other social media channel — and long before the “mainstream” media such as BBC itself — I think it is very curious that the BBC hired someone who was not up to speed on the various technologies.

This is not against you, Alex, but the BBC.

I live in the United States and am self-employed as an online media strategist. I’d enjoy chatting with you if you like. You can tweet me @ariherzog, else find me elsewhere online under the same name.