NUJ New Media

Farewell Facebook?

Facebook and employers who ban it at work have been all over the media in the last couple of weeks. I don't think the issue is as widespread as the touted surveys suggest, but I reckon it's getting such good coverage for one main reason... 90% of the UK's journalists are complete Facebook fiends, and they're bricking it that they may have to give up their poking antics too.

I don't think this is too likely though. Journalists are networkers by nature (witness the NUJ group - the biggest of any union group, despite a much smaller membership than unions like Unite), and can often get more of a blind eye turned to the blurs between the cultivation of friend networks and professional networks on and offline than other groups of workers might. I'll eat my Second Life avatar's hat if it ever gets switched off at the Beeb!

Anyway, before you go and practice your "but it's a vital tool of my trade!" plea, check out this guidance for staff about your rights to Facebook, and the correct etiquette for dealing with a friend request from your editor.

In a comedy twist to the issue, one group of banned workers have taken it to its logical conclusion, starting a Facebook group to campaign for Facebook rights reinstatement at Medway Maritime Hospital - a kind of MC Escher recurring issue within an issue.

Labels: facebook

posted by John @ 21:25