Should journalists adopt politically charged hashtags?

Soon after news of the Charlie Hebdo shooting broke in January, one photo dominated journalists' social media feeds.

An image of 'Je suis Charlie' (I am Charlie) written on a black background was posted by journalists and others horrified by the terrorist attack that saw 10 Charlie Hebdo staff and two police officers shot dead at the organisation's offices in Paris.

The related hashtag, #jesuischarlie, also became a way of keeping up with the latest developments to the story, as police chased the attackers.

But #JeSuisAhmed also started gaining traction – honouring Ahmed Merabet, the policeman killed while trying to stop the attackers from running away from the scene – used by those who did not identify with Charlie Hebdo's staff or objected to their cartoons.

"The industry adopted it very quickly without really thinking it through," Tommy Evans, vice-president of newsgathering at CNN, said of journalists' use of #JeSuisCharlie.

Speaking at News Xchange in Berlin today, he said there is an "inherent danger for news organisations in using politically charged hashtags, whether it's Charlie or #blacklivesmatter".

News outlets using these hashtags are planting their flag on one side of a story, he said.

CNN's coverage of the Charlie Hebdo shooting was widely debated in the newsroom before any materials made it on air.

This was "very healthy" for the organisation, said Evans. "It actually made our coverage better, the fact that there were dissenting voices among our ranks."

At French news outlet iTele, the aim was to draw a line between the journalists' emotions and what the team showed in their coverage of the attack, editor-in-chief Lucas Menget explained.

And while some iTele journalists were wearing #JeSuisCharlie pins, these were taken off before going on air. "In the first hours of the massacre, there was first a shock and then sadness."

"It took us time to realise that the world was not #JeSuisCharlie," he added.

When a minute of silence was held in schools across France, Menget heard that some refused to take part. "We suddenly realised that there was a broader movement," he said.

As many took to the streets in France in the days following the attack, the team found there was another aspect of the story iTele had not been covering as much.

"After those five days we gave more importance to the 'non-Charlie' people," he said.

Is there a danger of missing the full picture by quickly adopting hashtags highlighting one side of the story?

Share your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us @journalisnews.

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