Using social media without giving too much away
Protect accounts, reduce unnecessary exposure and think about what posts reveal about you, your colleagues and your work.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Social media is part of the job for most journalists and production teams. The aim is not to disappear from it, but to understand what information it exposes and protect the accounts that carry your identity and reach.
Protect the account first
Use a passkey where the platform supports one. Otherwise use a unique password stored in a password manager and turn on two-step verification. Keep recovery details current and save recovery codes securely.
Be particularly cautious about messages claiming your account has violated rules, lost verification, infringed copyright or needs urgent action. Account-takeover phishing often uses exactly these themes. Open the platform directly rather than signing in through an unexpected link.
Assume public information can be combined
A single post may reveal little. A collection of posts can reveal much more: home and work locations, routines, colleagues, family relationships, travel dates, vehicles, hotels or the identity of people connected to a story.
Review what is publicly visible and remember that other people can expose information about you through tags, photographs and comments. Privacy settings reduce casual exposure but should not be treated as a guarantee that information will remain private.
Be careful with location and timing
Posting from a location in real time can disclose where a team is working, where equipment is being kept or that a home is empty. For sensitive assignments, consider posting later and avoid identifiable accommodation, transport details and live movements.
Photographs can reveal more than their subject: badges, documents, reflections, computer screens, whiteboards and distinctive landmarks are all useful clues. Check the whole frame before publishing.
Separate roles where it helps
There can be value in keeping personal and professional identities separate, particularly for people working on contentious subjects. Separation is not perfect, determined researchers may still connect accounts, but it can reduce routine exposure and make targeting harder.
Use different contact details where appropriate and avoid unnecessary cross-linking between accounts.
Watch for impersonation
Journalists, presenters and production companies are routinely impersonated. Be alert to new accounts using your name or branding, particularly if they contact contributors, ask for money or distribute links.
If an account is compromised, act quickly: use the platform’s recovery process, tell your organisation, review active sessions and connected apps, and warn contacts if fraudulent messages may have been sent.
Before posting, ask
- Does this reveal a location or routine that matters?
- Does it identify someone who expected confidentiality?
- Is there sensitive information elsewhere in the image?
- Am I posting something now that would be safer to post later?
- Would I be comfortable with this information being copied and kept permanently?
Social media can be useful without being all-revealing. Deliberate choices beat blanket restrictions.