Last month, Travel Channel personality Adam Richman made some very disturbing posts that led to his upcoming new show being postponed indefinitely. Talk show host Anthony Cumia of Sirius was fired from his radio show last week for a series of allegedly racists Tweets. Both of these incidents occurred "off the air" during personal time but they had negative employment consequences.
Social Media is not the panacea that some business consultants claim. Too many self styled "social media consultants" advise their clients to pump out content on multiple platforms 24/7. On a regular basis, clients ask me about the legal, business, and reputation related issues surrounding disturbing social media posts. Unfortunately, I am usually contacted after a "social media consultant" has already provided career killing advice or inadequate training.
If one feels the need to respond to Tweets (or other types of posts) or get into a Facebook discussion with others, the amount of information/content posted should be limited since it may be utilized against you forever. Yes, forever! Any postings may be submitted as evidence in a court of law or may be used in the court of public opinion to destroy your career so less is usually more. I have never had a client tell me he or she regretted not Tweeting more or posting a longer Facebook response.
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