With a single tweet, an employee of IAC (owner of websites like Match.com and Vimeo) went from relative obscurity to the target of an Internet inquisition. Before boarding a plane, Justine Sacco posted this message on Twitter: “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!” The tweet went viral while Sacco was en route to South Africa, oblivious to the controversy brewing online. Death threats landed in her inbox. Someone opened a parody Twitter account for Sacco. A hashtag (#HasJustineLandedYet) was created to help people keep track the arrival of her plane. IAC quickly condemned Sacco’s tweet in a press release and on social media. The New York Times published an article about the controversy later the same evening. The next day, IAC fired her. Sacco issued an apology on Sunday.
Social media meltdowns are nothing new, but the story highlights four myths that can get professionals into social media trouble.
- “I’m a pro—I know what I’m doing.” Sacco worked as a communications director for IAC. One might expect a PR professional to be sensitive about what their public expression, but Sacco’s expertise apparently didn’t save her from posting a message that many found offensive. Before posting, think twice (or thrice) about how the message will be received by the public.
- “No one will ever find out.” Sacco’s Twitter account didn’t have many followers at the time she posted the controversial tweet—less than 200. Having a small following can create a false sense of security that the public will never see the contents of the account. But one doesn’t need to be an Internet rockstar to get into trouble. Posts can go viral if a follower shares it with someone else, who in turn shares it with another person, and so on …
- “No worries, it’s my personal account.” Just because a social media account is designated as personal doesn’t mean it should have no filter. Although Sacco used her personal Twitter account to make the infamous post, her account profile listed IAC as her employer. This made it easy for readers to associate IAC with Sacco’s post. As a result, IAC was involuntarily drawn into the controversy. The moral of the story is that the lines between personal and professional are very blurry on the Internet.
- “Just this one time.” Bad judgment on social media is seldom an isolated incident. Earlier in 2013, Sacco had tweeted: “I can’t be fired for things I say while intoxicated right?” Because social media extends brand management beyond official company channels, companies should keep track of employees who publicly identify their employer and periodically check if those employees regularly interact in ways that damage the company brand.
The Sacco incident teaches that the value of training on good social media practices cannot be overemphasized. The old adage about an ounce of prevention is no less true in the digital age.
Related articles
