In the emerging world of new media the rule of thumb suggests that as a journalist you should never tweet anything you wouldn’t write either in a news story or column, an apropos guide considering this weekend’s public dustup between Christina Kim and Brittany Lincicome. You might argue differently, but good luck with that. You are, after all, practically calling a news conference every time you tweet. So if you’re going to tweet beyond the game you play, if you’re going to take stands on politics and religion, don’t feign surprise if it becomes a big deal. Twitter is a terrific tool, an effective way to help build rapport and relationships with your audience, but it’s not much different than calling a news conference. There is no such thing as `deep background.' What you tweet today can be a headline in newspapers across the world tomorrow. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say to a reporter, because Twitter is actually less protected than talking to a reporter. ![]() In fact, if you’re going to tweet, treat it just like you would a live interview. Ultimately, there’s no difference between what you tweet and what you say into a microphone in a TV or radio interview or to a reporter holding a digital recorder. Twitter feels like a more intimate way to communicate directly with your audience, but there’s nothing intimate about it. Like everything in life, though, tweets must be accompanied by a measure of intelligence and caution to avoid those negative situations. The advantages of tweeting – and other social media adventures – far outweigh the negatives. It can now happen right from the confines of the living room couch, a simple screen tap of the thumbs causing major headlines. No longer must any of them be summoned to a podium in the interview room or stationed in front of awaiting microphones to have their words travel around the world. More than ever, it’s easy for an athlete – or anyone else, for that matter – to get himself into hot water on a 24/7 basis. If I were offering advice to an athlete on how, what, when and why to make their thoughts public, it would probably mirror the advice my dad gave me on prom night: Don’t be an idiot. It’s a win-win scenario on so many different levels. Either way, tweets bring the athlete closer to his or her fans and the fans closer to their favorite athletes. Depending on their personality, these 140-character bursts can be anything from revealing studies of the inner machinations of their personalities to free advertising for corporate sponsors through supportive shoutouts. Seriously? Are we really asking this? This is 2012, isn’t it? OK, I thought so. So, young tweeters, when in doubt, dust off the ol’ laptop, fire off an email. Sometimes, ideas need to be expanded upon. But every thought doesn’t need to be 140 characters or less. Instead of reaching their combined 70,000-follower audience, why could they not settle their beef through a text message, or an email? Remember those other methods of communication? I know, I know. The back-and-forth was reminiscent of a schoolyard scuffle, each clique growing in numbers, the name-calling becoming more and more vicious … until the teacher breaks it up, and everyone is sent into timeout, humiliated. If I’m LPGA commish Mike Whan, I fine them not just for conduct unbecoming of a professional, but for conduct unbecoming of an adult. That could have saved Donald, in particular – his message was intended to be private.Īs for the LPGAers? Well, that was just embarrassing – for the players themselves. The takeaway from those blunders is obvious: Take five seconds to review the tweet before you click send. Last month, Luke Donald called architect Gil Hanse an unprintable word on Twitter and had to issue an apology, and then, over the weekend, Christina Kim and Brittany Lincicome engaged in a squabble that never should have gone public. Just learn from your more reckless peers. ![]() ![]() Pros, keep tweeting until you develop carpal tunnel. If you were advising athletes, would you recommend that they go ahead and tweet or steer clear of it? Our writers chime in with their thoughts. ![]() Brittany Lincicome and Christina Kim got into a tweeting argument this past week.
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