NYT Declares ‘Twitter Reset’ in Leaked Memo Warning of Damage to ‘Journalistic’ Reputation: ‘Subtweets’ Are ‘Not Allowed’

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New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet says the paper needs to “reset” its stance on Twitter and issued new guidelines for all staff. “Off-the-cuff” tweets can “damage our journalistic reputations,” said Baquet.

The Times, which has been the subject of multiple Twitter-generated controversies, is encouraging its journalists to “meaningfully reduce” their time using the site.

“For some time, I’ve been hearing serious concerns from newsroom colleagues about the challenges that Twitter presents,” said Baquet in a leaked memo (below) obtained by Business Insider.

“We can rely too much on Twitter as a reporting or feedback tool — which is especially harmful to our journalism when our feeds become echo chambers,” he said, addressing concerns from within and without that the paper has become reactive to the highly charged and partisan atmosphere of Twitter.

Former Times editor Lauren Wolfe was fired last year after she sent a tweet saying she had “chills” watching Joe Biden’s plane land before his inauguration.

Baquet also called out attacking colleagues, specifically mentioning “subtweets,” which could really be a reference to any number of prior controversies on social media involving the paper, but calls to mind at least one particular blow-up. Staffers and well-known contributors revolted in the newsroom and publicly on Twitter after the paper published an op-ed by Sen. Tom Cotton back in 2020.

“In particular, tweets or subtweets that attack, criticize or undermine the work of your colleagues are not allowed,” Baquet stated. “Doing so undercuts the reputation of The Times as well as our efforts to foster a culture of inclusion and trust.”

Baquet addressed the other side of the equation, too, announcing a “major new initiative to support journalists who experience online threats or harassment.”

“This is an industry-wide scourge, but we are determined to take action,” he wrote.

Former New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz</strong >broke down in tears recently discussing the environment on Twitter.

The news of the “reset” is already a new Twitter moment for the paper. Which either emphasizes Baquet’s point or demonstrates the futility of the effort, depending on how you look at it.

Colleagues,

For some time, I’ve been hearing serious concerns from newsroom colleagues about the challenges that Twitter presents.

We can rely too much on Twitter as a reporting or feedback tool — which is especially harmful to our journalism when our feeds become echo chambers. We can be overly focused on how Twitter will react to our work, to the detriment of our mission and independence. We can make off-the-cuff responses that damage our journalistic reputations. And for too many of you, your experience of Twitter is shaped by harassment and attacks.

It’s clear we need to reset our stance on Twitter for the newsroom. So we’re making some changes.

First, maintaining a presence on Twitter and other social media is now purely optional for Times journalists. In fact, after speaking to dozens of you, it is clear to us that there are many reasons you might want to step away, and we’ll support anyone who decides to do so. If you do choose to stay on, we encourage you to meaningfully reduce how much time you’re spending on the platform, tweeting or scrolling, in relation to other parts of your job.

We also all need to strengthen our commitment to treating information there with the journalistic skepticism that we would any source, story or critic. It should be only one input out of many for reporting, listening to feedback and gaining understanding of any story or issue.

Second, we’re announcing a major new initiative to support journalists who experience online threats or harassment. We take these attacks extremely seriously, and we know just how much this abuse affects our colleagues’ well-being, sense of safety and ability to do their jobs. We have a dedicated team to support Times journalists, and we’re rolling out new training and tools to help prevent and respond to online abuse. This is an industry-wide scourge, but we are determined to take action. We’ll be providing more details today.

Third, I want to emphasize that your work on social media needs to reflect the values of The Times and be consistent with our editorial standards, social media guidelines and behavioral norms. In particular, tweets or subtweets that attack, criticize or undermine the work of your colleagues are not allowed. Doing so undercuts the reputation of The Times as well as our efforts to foster a culture of inclusion and trust.

Masthead editors, department heads and our Standards department will pay close attention to how all Times journalists use social media to ensure it is in line with our social media guidelines.

I know that Twitter can play a helpful role, whether it’s aiding in reporting on breaking news, on specific beats or gauging feedback. It’s also been critical in highlighting the concerns of underrepresented groups. And I recognize that in the past, we’ve strongly urged you to use it to get our journalism in front of more people, engage with readers and uncover stories.

This is a complicated topic, and our views have evolved considerably over the last several years. I’m sure they’ll continue to. I want to be clear that we’re here to support you. That might mean offering guidance and protection against harassment; working with our audience team to responsibly promote stories online; or simply offering encouragement if you do decide to step away from social media.

You’ll likely have questions on this, so we’ve developed an FAQ with the main points from our social media policy and these updates.

I encourage you to come talk to me or other masthead leaders about this if you have concerns. We can all use this moment to reflect on our newsroom’s culture — both online and in person — and how we can help shape it.

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