The new guidelines from the BBC on social media are now available online. There are two parts to this, the first dealing with how the BBC should approach social networking sites and the second on how the use by BBC staff of social networking sites.

The guidelines on the use of social media by the BBC reflects concerns about protecting the brand. But they also recognises that the corporation should not trample into these spaces.

For example, the guidelines say “We should be sensitive to the expectations of existing users of the specific site. If we add a BBC presence, we are joining their site rather than the opposite”.

They also caution against using social media for short-term gain based around the lifetime of a particular TV or radio programme: “We should take care not to give users the impression that we are interested in setting up a fully interactive profile or page if that page is then neglected or abandoned after it has achieved a one-off short term purpose”.

The BBC should be commended for recognising the need to respect online communities and not simply use social media as a promotional tool for its output.

The guidelines on the personal use of social media reveal the BBC concerns about potential damage to its reputation. For example, they note that “through the open nature of such sites, it is also possible for third parties to collate vast amounts of information”. It cites the fact The Shawshank Redemption is the most popular film amongst the 11,899 members of the BBC network on Facebook and 8% list their political views as “liberal”.

David Jordan, director of BBC Editorial Policy and Standards explained the rationale behind the guidelines, stressing the BBC’s concern about being seen as impartial and objective:

What I hope we’ve created is something which is common sense. It does not restrict BBC staff from conducting legitimate activities on the Internet. But it does raise awareness of how crucial the BBC’s reputation for impartiality and objectivity is.

What appears missing from these guidelines on the use of social networking sites by journalists. This has been in the news recently due to the Spitzer scandal, when the media plundered the MySpace profile of Ashley Alexandra Dupre for her photos.

The BBC has been debating the ethics of taking material from social networking site. But these guidelines fail to tackle this area