Social Media is a blade that can easily cut both ways: Handle with care!

Words in the headline caught me immediately: Producer. Fired. KGO-TV

So much so, I had to read it twice to make sure they were talking about the “SF KGO-TV” that “I” knew!

Once the words were clear and the seriousness sank in, my reaction was immediate: “Oh boy, this isn’t good.”

I read the articles, “San Francisco’s KGO-TV fires news producer over tweets” by @MatthewKeysLive and the San Francisco Chronicle’s “KGO-TV freelance producer loses job over ‘inappropriate’ tweet” by @EvanSernoffsky

The former, whom I follow on twitter had no qualms sharing how he felt/feels/is feeling about the latter:

Editor’s note: If you are reading this via a link from the San Francisco Chronicle’s website, the author of this post would like to express his disdain for reporter Evan Sernoffsky and his editor Terry Robertson, both of whom felt it important to include incorrect and irrelevant information about this author in their aggregated report on the following topic. As such, the author of this post would like to kindly offer the suggestion that Mr. Sernoffsky and Mr. Robertson go fuck themselves.)

Ouch! I don’t know Terry and I’ve never met Matthew, but Evan is a good guy.

Social Media is a blade that can easily cut both ways. Handle with care.

I thank Sweet Jehovah that I’ve been fortunate enough to deftly navigate the deceivingly shallow waters of Twitter.  The snark, color commentary & personal observations can be fun, but must be handled with care, for fear of crossing the proverbial “line.”

I know the aforementioned “freelance writer” and have worked with him often. He is solid. This is completely out of character.

I know him to be a good man, father and husband. I also know him to be a brother and friend to many. My heart goes out to him and his family.

I’ve covered many demonstrations in Oakland. I’ve seen the pain and frustration of those brave and strong enough to protest peacfully and the fear and intimidation caused by those who hide behind them, only to burn, pillage and destroy the property of others.

I’ve covered stories involving many of the men and women who wear the uniform of the Oakland Police Department.

Some of the demonstrators, like the officers, live in the community, others do not.

The officers I have met have been straightforward about their department’s struggle to move past the perception of being cold-blooded, badge-wearing thugs.

For years, the Oakland Police Department was being sued over alleged corruption and brutality while suffering from a lack of community trust; but things are changing.

The court-ordered reform, which I’ve covered extensively, was the driver of the change.  In fact, the completed reforms have started to put Oakland Police Officers in a positive light.

No one should be allowed to burn & spray-paint buildings, bust windows or loot businesses, nor should any law enforcement agent feel it’s “OK” to make it open-season on demonstrators or use unreasonable force.

I believe that may have been what the “freelance writer” had been trying to say. Unfortunately, the social media blade he chose to use, “Twitter,” wasn’t handled with care.

He isn’t someone who doesn’t “get it.” He “gets it.” He has lived/is living the struggle many men of color are all too familiar with.

There is only one certain result when controversy is laced into 140 characters: Subtlety will be trampled, and the world will lose its shit.