Social Media: New Editing Tools or Weapons of Mass Distraction?

Despite the exponential rise of social media use in the publishing industry, very little is known about its impact on the editing profession. The aim of this paper is to investigate how editors and proofreaders use social media tools in their work. The first part is a descriptive study of users and uses of social media in the context of editing. The second part critically evaluates the positive and negative aspects of using social media tools for work and explores practical implications. The results of a survey of 330 editors and proofreaders indicate that the use of social media tools is motivated chiefly by the interpersonal utility and information-seeking behavior. While social media tools are seen as easy to use, their perceived usefulness varies. Moreover, they are considered to be time consuming and distractive. Other concerns, and indeed barriers to the adoption of social media, are linked with the blending of professional and private identity, the merging of working and personal life, and issues surrounding privacy and author’s confidentiality.

Social Media: New Editing Tools or Weapons of Mass Distraction? The Journal of Electronic Publishing, Vol. 15, No. 1. (June 2012), doi:10.3998/3336451.0015.103



I sent this, somewhat in jest, to my long-suffering managing editor. Then I noticed I'd been heavily cited in it. Oops.

A.J. Cann