Facebook is often meant to showcase positive, but can also show the negative.=
Posted on 11. Feb, 2010 by Creatwood in Communication Tips & Trends, Social Media
A recent story found in the Florida Times-Union by David Hunt discussed issues facing JEA and its customers over high utility bills, theft and a complaint about workers being too slow on the job. The former complaint springs from a widely publicized, and partially criticized, story from First Coast News that had camera crews follow JEA trucks around for several weeks to monitor actual work activity. The report conveyed an image crisis for JEA, showing JEA crews clocking in but not performing their duties of the job.
As a result of the story, there was plenty of public outcry over the coverage, but it wasn’t necessarily directed at JEA. Instead, First Coast news received a rash of criticism following the airing of the story on its Facebook page, with many viewers slamming the station saying they were to blame for the taunts and backlash JEA and its employees were receiving. Many people felt FCN was acting irresponsibly, and some even went as far as blaming the news station for JEA workers being attacked by dogs because of the report. While many organizations use Facebook to promote the work they do and interact with a constituency, it can also go the other way when that constituency uses the page to rub the company’s nose in something.
Times-Union Columnist Abel Harding touched on the issue and made an interesting point about local news coverage and how people expect it from local news sources, but complain about the results once the story airs.
Read up on the issue and share with me what you think about the ordeal, and also how a Facebook page is intended to showcase the positive aspects, but sometimes falls to your most outspoken critics.
– DS –
