Olympic athletes told to keep tweets personal

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has put out a list of clear social media guidelines for athletes who will be participating in the 2012 London Olympics. The guidelines encourage athletes to blog/tweet about their experiences but warns against ‘reporting’. In this case, that means that athletes can only use the first person when tweeting or blogging And they are deadly serious. The IOC has said it will monitor all social media activity by athletes, and those who do not comply with social media guidelines may be sanctioned or barred from competing.

Among the guidelines set by the IOC are:

* Any postings, blogs or tweets should be in a first-person, diary type format and should not be in the role of a journalist - i.e. they must not report on competition or comment on the activities of other participants or accredited persons, or disclose any information which is confidential or private in relation to any other person or organization.

* Postings, blogs and tweets should at all times conform to the Olympic spirit and fundamental principles of Olympism as contained in the Olympic Charter, be dignified and in good taste, and not contain vulgar or obscene words or images.

* Athletes cannot post any video and/or audio of the events, competitions or any other activities which occur at Olympic Venues.

* Photos of the athletes themselves or other accredited persons in the Olympic Village can be posted, but if any other persons appear in the photo, their prior permission must be obtained by the person posting such photo.

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