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Yesterday, Reuters released what could be called a “reverse step” in social media policy, which instructs their journalists to avoid bias and specifically instructs them not to scoop the news wire by breaking their stories on social media sites first.

While it’s understandable that Reuters seeks to uphold the trust placed in them by their readers, the policy is moving in the wrong direction as many other online content providers strive to provide information in real-time. Indeed, the past year has seen Facebook, Google, and other online mediums provide real-time results in their search content. Additionally, search aggregators, such as LeapFish, not only provide results based on the major search engines, but access to real-time results as well, all from a single query.

The instructions make it clear that journalists are to release stories via the wire first, and then on social media outlets, including Twitter, secondarily.

The policy advises Reuters’ journalists to seek approval from their managers before using Twitter for any professional purpose, and also suggests that someone within the Reuters organization check the tweets before they’re posted so that personal bias is not disclosed. Reuters also suggests that journalists separate their personal accounts from their professional accounts.

Jennifer Bruin at Mashable states clearly what seems to be the news organization’s major concern:

“[Reuters] is torn between encouraging employees to use social media and the realization that the online behaviors of their staff put them at risk, a sentiment expressed in the comment that these tools, if misused, could ‘threaten our hard-earned reputation for independence and freedom from bias or our brand.’” Read the rest of this entry »

We are taking a break from our regularly scheduled programming today in order to honor (and attend) the Second Annual Shorty Awards! The awards ceremony will honor the best represented personalities and social media elites on Twitter, and all winners will give their acceptance speeches in 140 characters or less. Please join us virtually (or vicariously) by going to the official site to watch the streaming video of the ceremony, beginning at 7:30pm EST tonight. You can also follow the @ShortyAwards on Twitter and Facebook.

For more background on the ceremony, please revisit Rocky’s post on the nominees! Join us later in the week for all of the insider details too hot for other social media news sites (we may even name names and provide photographic evidence of debauchery…).

Stay tuned!

After a long history of hardships, Haitians are now enduring a long and disastrous aftermath from last month’s most severe natural disaster in current history. The death toll is estimated at over a quarter million, the damages exceeding those of the Asian tsunami in 2004, and the costs are billions more than that of Katrina. Being one of the poorest Third World countries, Haiti is no stranger to suffering, with poverty, disease, debt, and a long list of political problems with dictatorship having existed for decades.

With their previous beloved leader, Aristide, sent into exile and the current president, René Préval, walking around in a daze, the Haitian people are short-handed on powerful leaders, and are relying on short form aid instead. Relief efforts for the massive destruction and displacement of Haitians are endless, and the partnering of big brand relief organizations with social media sites could make the overwhelming process more efficient. But for real-time news about the relief progress and inside perspectives from locals in Haiti, social media networks are revolutionizing the way we stay informed. By following local publishers, donors are empowered to make more informative decisions on how to help.

Although the Red Cross has the most branding power and continues to receive millions more in donations than any other agency, there are many more organizations with progressive, innovative approaches that hold a certain expertise. Questioning the legitimacy of an organization with an unknown name is only logical; there are predators who are using this ravaged country as an excuse to wring cash out of well intentioned donors. The less informed the donor, the more likely their funds will go to familiar agencies like Red Cross and UNICEF. There have been debates of pooling U.S. disaster funds to spread the help to other organizations that are more specialized, yet it doesn’t seem like a timely solution to what needs immediate attention.

There are easy ways to donate and some sponsors are doing it for you. If you become a follower of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund by March 2^nd, Rudy’s BBQ will automatically donate fifty cents to CBHF. (You can participate via the CBHF Twitter account). You can also sport your support with a Fashion for Haiti t-shirt (@fashionforhaiti on Twitter). New York community group To Haiti With Love, is asking artists to create and donate. Art will then be auctioned off via their website, tohaitiwithlove.co.uk. Also, if you are an eBay shopper, you can automatically donate during your checkout.

To read what people on the ground in Haiti are saying and to learn about other ways you can help and become a part of the plan, check out the publishers and citizen journalists below on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/MakHaitian

http://twitter.com/mediahacker

http://twitter.com/firesideint

http://twitter.com/RAMhaiti