June 26, 2012

We all know social media is a great way to connect with people and though it’s an extraordinary gift to our generation, it’s also a curse when your job is concerned. In the private sector, some companies bar employees from utilizing the sites at work and also require employees to sign agreements to not “speak on behalf” of the company. The public sector can be a little different especially when it pertains to members of Congress and their press secretaries.

For a elected official on any level, a press person is one of the most important people on their staff. The way in which a politician is portrayed in the media both before, during and after their term is essentially how the world views them, especially the world in the literal sense of facebook & twitter.

Most recently in the news, Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) fired one of her press staffers, Luke Welch, for sending a tweet with sarcastic implications about US Senator Bernie Sanders (a member of the Liberty Union Party). Welch tweeted from Collins’ official account “Good ol’ @SenSanders is always entertaining. Not a huge fan. I’ll give him this, the genetically modified food label makes sense.” Though you may not view the statements as being “that bad”, Welch made sure that he @’d Senator Sanders and his sarcasm was clear.

The tweet was almost immediately deleted but not before national media outlets could get a hold of it, and we all know the media will make it statements there own.

Collins Senior Press Secretary, issued an official apology and homeboy (Welch) immediately got the ax!

Do you think the punishment was too harsh for what was actually tweeted or would you do the same? Would it have been ok if it was his own personal twitter account?

Spill the beans below…