JOURNALISTS CAN'T OFFER OPINIONS ABOUT THEIR STORIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES? Toronto Star has issued new social media guidelines. (Credit: GigaOm, screenshot)

The Toronto Star’s recently adopted social media policy calls for Star journalists to not offer personal opinion about their stories on social media sites.

The policy reads that journalist should “not editorialize on the topics they cover, as readers could construe this as evidence that their news reporting is biased. As well, journalists should refrain from debating issues within the Star’s online comments forum to avoid any suggestion that they may be biased in their reporting.”

Technology blog Gigaom.com, which posted the policy, took the Star’s policy as a sign that newspapers are “still not really getting it” when it comes to social media sites.

A Star spokesperson told Gigaom.com that the policy is “well in line with what mainstream media organiztions have always done.”  The spokesperson, Bob Hepburn, did note that “we’ve always placed some limitations on journalists” when it comes to offering opinions.