BRISTOL, Conn. -- Three weeks after a memo distributed to ESPN employees caused a stir in social networking circles, just about everyone I've talked to here at ESPN's headquarters has taken pains to assure me that ESPN does not hate Twitter. In fact, executives at the very top of the Worldwide Leader insist that they think Twitter is a valuable service to writers and to readers. They just want to make sure ESPN's writers are using Twitter in a way that sends readers to ESPN.com -- rather than in a way that makes readers think that if they're following their favorite writers on Twitter, there's no need for them to visit ESPN.com.
"We by no means are trying to curtail it," ESPN President George Bodenheimer said of Twitter. "It's part of our world and it's a very valuable part of our world."
And as for that memo? ESPN NBA reporter Ric Bucher tweeted on August 4, "The hammer just came down, tweeps: ESPN memo prohibiting tweeting info unless it serves ESPN." But ESPN executives say the hubbub over Bucher's tweet was an overreaction, and the memo was mostly a reminder that when ESPN employees use Twitter, they should use it in a way that reflects well on ESPN.
"Most people who took the time to actually read what we're trying to do understand," Bodenheimer said. "We want our writers to be on both ESPN.com and Twitter."
Soon, ESPN.com plans to start publishing some writers' Twitter feeds. That will be particularly significant with Bill Simmons, who has well over 600,000 followers and is considered not just the most popular sports writer on Twitter but one of the most influential journalists in any field on Twitter.Everyone I've spoken with at ESPN is thrilled that Simmons has built up such a Twitter following. They just hope his Twitter followers aren't reading his tweets but skipping his columns.
Follow me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.
