Journalists have always hated being identified publicly as the 'friend' of a source -

'I'm not your friend', many insist. 'I'm just trying to do my job.'

But that was 10 years ago, long before social networking sites came onto the scene.

These days, if you're trying to get in front of a reporter at The Washington Post, for example, and you know he has a Facebook page, asking him to be your friend is as easy as a few mouse clicks.

Easy and dangerous.

• He can identify you as a spammer.
• If he thinks your invitation is improper, and he's in a lousy mood, he can put you on his blacklist and "out" you to other journalists.
• He can post a nasty comment about you. Or worse.

Journalists create Facebook pages as one way of taking advantage of Web 2.0 tools. Facebook is a great place to look for sources. They can friend other journalists. They can listen to and participate in the online conversation. They also use Facebook as a secondary distribution system for their work and link to their articles, op-ed pieces, blogs and videos.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has directed its journalists to avoid adding sources or contacts as Facebook
friends.

"It may compromise your work by letting friends see other friends on your network," the policy document says. "It may also not be in your interest to identify yourself as a 'friend' of a source on their network."

You can read the entire policy at www.insidethecbc.com/facebookpolicy

So what should you do if so see a journalist on a social networking site and you want to connect? Here are three ways to
start building the relationship:

• Publicity Hound Harry Hoover has compiled a list of "Journalists Who Twitter" at www.my-creativeteam.com/blog/?p=694  He suggests that if the journalist is on the list, you can follow him or her and reply to their tweets when appropriate. At some point, you can email them from Twitter and ask if it's OK to invite them to be your friend on Facebook, and connect with you on LinkedIn.
• If the journalist has a page on LinkedIn, check to see if any of their connections are also your connections. If so, you can ask the connection to introduce you. If you are introduced, do not pitch. Instead, offer yourself as a source who can provide background, commentary, story ideas and anything else the journalist needs. See "How to Promote Anything on LinkedIn, Ethically & Powerfully," a series of two teleseminars I hosted with LinkedIn expert Scott Allen, at http://tinyurl.com/5zvzyd
• Can't find your favorite journalist at any of the social networking sites? Google their name and see if they blog. If so, read the blog and comment.

Let's see what other Publicity Hounds have to say about this topic. Journalists, what's your policy of accepting friending
invitations from people you don't know?

Sources, have you made valuable contacts with journalists on these social networking sites, or others? If so, how?

Post your comments to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/5769nf

If you're new to Facebook, or you've had a page for awhile but you don't know all the insider tricks on how to use it to
promote, Jason Alba can help. He explained them all, including an entire timeline on what to do on Facebook, and when, if you have something to promote.

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at www.publicityhound.com   and receive by email the handy list "89 Reasons to Send a News Release.