Following the example of other media outlets, Bloomberg has issued social media guidelines for its reporters, according to Bloomberg journalist Ellie Behling's blog.

While the policy encourages the use of Twitter, with Bloomberg social media director Dan Fletcher telling employees Twitter is "the best way to help readers discover the work you’re doing and monitoring conversations within your beat,” he also warned against tweeting stories that were in progress or using Twitter for breaking news. As the policy says, "Ask questions first. Tweet later."

The Toronto Star in Canada also recently adopted a social media policy that encourages the use of social media, but limits what reporters can do, prohibiting them from engaging in conversations with readers or expressing personal opinions, reported GigaOM.

And in February, Freedom Communications, Inc., parent company of the Orange County Register, enacted social media rules that recognize "that the internet provides unique opportunities to participate in interactive discussions and share information on particular topics using a wide variety of social media," but “the Company must ensure that use of these communications maintains its brand identity, integrity and reputation while minimizing actual or potential legal risks, whether used internally or externally," according to Poynter.

GigaOM's Mathew Ingram criticizes social media policies like Bloomberg's and the Star's, that "spend so much time talking about how bad social media is for the profession, and so little time talking about what makes it useful, or how to approach it as a positive tool for journalism." As such, Ingram offered a few suggestions for what a "positive social-media policy" should include, such as: reply when you are spoken to, link to others, re-tweet, and "be human, but not too human."