Most media outlets like the convenience of quote athletes & celebrities tweets without informing the general public the Twitter handle (or @username if you're new to Twitter) of the person quoted.
Unfortunately, the Herald Sun correctly identified Collingwood players on Twitter in a recent article but got a poor reaction from the players & fans.
Why? I'll show you what happened on Twitter…
On Twitter – Pies having fun
Here is what happened on Twitter (Thanks to @CollingwoodFC List for official Collingwood accounts)
Start at the bottom of the image below to follow the conversation as it happened on Twitter.
Herald Sun report – Twitter War
Here is what @SuperFooty reported via a tweet under the headline – Collingwood players in Twitter war of words
Collingwood players @SP_10, @harry_o, @Maxy_5 in war of words on Twitter. See all the tweets here http://bit.ly/i1U5dt
superfooty
Players reaction
Focused on being boring and no fun with @SP_10 on twitter from now on in case certain media outlets try & turn what we say into stories!
maxy_5
hey @superfooty i would like you to say that your headline sucked…can you please do that..Love Heritier O'Brien
harry_o
@superfooty @sp_10 @harry_o I thought Aussies were supposed to have a sense of humor? Obviously missing one in at @superfooty .Hilarious!
maxy_5
Fan reaction
Firstly look at the traffic & responses @Superfooty got from the tweet.
A quick check using Twitter Search can find out a few (NSFW) tweets with fans response to the article.
The @SuperFooty team did respond to Nick Maxwell but not their tweeps.
@maxy_5 We know it's all harmless fun, but we love it. Keep it up. And we're not taking sides @harry_o
superfooty
Sports Geek's Twitter Rules for Sports Media
- Not every tweet is a story but pointing out to your readers the where you find the best tweets is a good start.
- Get the quotes right and quote Twitter handles correctly. Remember, athletes can now set record straight via Twitter.
- Give them some context. Time lines are very important, move tweets out of sync and they have different meaning.
- Be prepared to engage your fan base, especially if you get it wrong.
- Follow @warne888 he will provide you with more than enough material 😉
What do you think? How should news outlets report tweets?