AP Staffers Taken to Woodshed for Social Media Opining

Image via CrunchBaseAssociated Press reporters weighing in on news stories such as the Casey Anthony murder trial and the New York legislature's thumbs-up to same-sex marriage have been taken to task by the wire service for sharing their views on Twitter.

According to Romanesko's media gossip column, Tom Kent, AP Deputy Managing Editor for Standards and Production, said AP staffers sharing their opinions with friends and family via Tweets undermine the credibility of AP reporters trying to cover controversial news stories in an objective, balanced manner. Sounding a bit "wired," Kent reminded AP staffers that social networks are a public forum and not the proper outlet for sharing personal views about contentious news events. Apparently, that's why wire service bureaus and newspapers are never located more than a stone's throw from  hanging fern-free dive bars.