NPR to employees: Retweets are endorsements

Also, despite what many say, retweets should be viewed AS endorsements. Again, from the handbook: “Tweet and retweet as if what you’re saying or passing along is information that you would put on the air or in a ‘traditional’ NPR.org news story. If it needs context, attribution, clarification or ‘knocking down,’ provide it.”

NPR’s memo also dismisses the broad claim that tweets don’t reflect the views of one’s employer, another standard disclaimer in Twitter profiles. Memmott states, “even if what we’re doing is personal and not identified as coming from someone at NPR, we understand that what we say and do could still reflect on NPR.” The memo was apparently a response to this tweet from lead education blogger Anya Kamenetz, which appeared on an official-looking account with NPR in the name: