Social Media Advice From a Pro – Be Careful

I was watching the pre-game show for one of the recent World Series games and MLB Network hosts Harold Reynolds and Fran Charles were interviewing Mike Swanson.  Swanson, a familiar face to many Arizona PR folks and sports media, is retiring after 43 years working in media relations for several Major League Baseball teams, including the Arizona Diamondbacks.  He was a part of the D-Backs’ organization in 2001 when they won the World Series and he wrapped up his career with the Kansas City Royals.

Swanson was sharing some stories about his career, and I swear what I heard him say on MLB Network were words I’ve heard during the dozens of media training sessions our team has conducted over the years.

“The Royals let me go down to the minor leagues and talk to the kids about accountability and about being present for the media, being available at all times, in the good and the bad times.  And now the kids that are coming up and being a part of that organization – they got it.  We had to do zooms all year. but they got it and came up and remembered everything I had told them two, three years ago in the minors.”

Reynolds then asked him to give some advice to young athletes and families with kids in sports.

“The best advice I can give you…. as for the social media, just watch yourself.  You’ve got to be careful with the players, and you’ve got to watch yourself with what you put out there because it’s not to incite, it’s to enjoy and you’ve got to be careful with it.  But you can say so many good things about the organization you work for, and so many good things about the sport that you work in… and it doesn’t just have to be baseball, it could be any sport, but baseball is closest to my heart.”

The same holds true whether you are in sports, in the corporate world or just being you.