The hammer just came down, tweeps: ESPN memo prohibiting tweeting info unless it serves ESPN.”

US sports channel ESPN has issued guideleines on the use of social networking sites for its employees reports the New York Times.

The guidelines say that on-air talent, reporters and writers are prohibited from having sports-related blogs or Web sites and that they will need a supervisor’s approval to discuss sports on any social networking sites. They will also be restricted from discussing internal policies or detailing how stories are “reported, written, edited or produced.”

Is this going to be part of a growing trend as organisations reign in the corporate message.

Well according to Chris LaPlaca, an ESPN spokesman,they

have been in the social networking space for a long time, and will continue to be there,but we want to be smarter about how we do it.