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PHOTO: Johann Hatting, McIntosh Polela and Lance Witten.
A woman dies at the Cape Town Stadium after scaffolding collapses during the Linkin Park concert. The next day eNews sports reporter Lance Witten is suspended after tweeting, “Linkin Park are so badass people are just dying to see them.”
Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye is convicted of the murder of four schoolboys. Hawks spokesman McIntosh Polela takes to his Twitter account, firing off a one-liner that attracts widespread condemnation: “I trust that Jub Jub’s supporters gave him a jar of Vaseline to take to prison”, alluding to the possibility the rapper might be raped in prison.
And photographer Johann Hattingh vents on Twitter about how the newspaper he works for, The Citizen, digitally altered a picture of a suicide bombing in Afghanistan, erasing the dead bodies: “#citizenclone cloning dead out of pic, unethical unethical unethical!!!” he ranted on the site. “Pics ed complained, senior ed staff was ok with it!!! WTF!!!”
Hattingh is sacked for bringing the paper into disrepute and “irretrievably” damaging the relationship of trust with his employer.
The examples go on and on. Given the advances in technology and smartphones, it’s easier than ever instantly to update your status and air your views on everything under the sun.
But, experts say, you’d better tread carefully if you want to keep your job and reputation.
Read more of Latashia Naidoo’s article about social media Do’s and Don’ts and what the consequences of a careless tweet could be in YOU 22 November 2012.
