Lance Witten's irresponsible tweets damaged not only his own credibility as a TV reporter and the public perception of him, but also the credibility, image, brand and integrity of the news platform he represents.
The eNCA says Lance Witten will resume his on-air work on Thursday, follwing a 13 day suspension and a disciplinary hearing during which Lance Witten acknowledged that the tweets "were hurtful and inappropriate".
While dismissal was an option on the table, the chairperson of the disciplinary committee felt that dismissal would be excessive.
"We took the matter seriously and dealth with it speedily," says Patrick Conroy, the group head of news at the eNCA. "We are satisfied with the internal disciplinary process, he has been sanctioned and we now consider this matter closed."
I asked the eNCA about the news channel's policy for social media use by reporters. Patrick Conroy tells me that the eNCA have had a social media policy for quite some time.
"This incident does not require us to revisit that policy as it comprehensively covered the issues at hand. Lance Witten accepts he failed to live up to this policy."
"Essentially the policy makes it clear that social media platforms are not private, but public, and all statements made should be considered as such."
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