Ten BBC tweeters you might not follow yet but should

Dave / 8th June 2011

Update: A few people on Twitter dubbing this a ‘top ten’. It’s not! Just a few I like. Also – feel free to suggest more in the comments.

Another update: Jem Stone, head of social media and syndication for BBC Radio, has given his own list a go for radio folk.

It took a while. The BBC has been a cautious place as far as Twitter is concerned, and it’s taken a few good courses and threats to get everyone on board.

Now the BBC twitterati has swollen to magnificent proportions. People are joining up every day – and it offers a great way to follow all the goings on at the corporation.

In an unofficial survey (which consisted of me looking at people on Twitter and saying ‘they’re good’), it was proven that BBC people on Twitter are more innovative, richer and better-looking than their non-Twitterfied colleagues. Fact.

Anyway, here’s a few people whose presence demands a higher follower count than they currently enjoy.

Chris Hamilton – @chrishams – Social Media Editor

Chris is the newly appointed social media editor for BBC News, taking over from the highly-regarded Alex Gubbay who has now (sadly) moved on to Johnston Press. For the latest developments in what the BBC is doing in the social media space, you’d be wise to follow Chris as he settles into his new job.

Matthew Davis – @ME_Davis – US Editor, BBC News Online

For our transatlantic chums, a specially tailored version of the BBC News homepage is served up when they visit. In charge of this is Matthew Davis, the US editor, based in Washington with a relatively small team. As the Republican nominations and race for the White House starts to take shape – Matthew’s efforts will be worth keeping an eye on…

Adam Blenford – @adamblenford – Washington-based reporter, BBC News Online

…as will the efforts of Adam Blenford, who has just touched down stateside to join Matthew’s team. It’s a big move, given that he and his wife have just had a baby girl. Adam is a veteran of the live event page – using it to great (and tiring) effect during the Egyptian uprising. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to completely uproot your life and move overseas, Adam is well worth a follow. And he also keeps this nifty Posterous site.

Jeremy Bowen – @jfjbowen – Middle East Editor

Although often controversial, the BBC’s Middle East editor is, in my eyes, one of the finest journalists to have ever walked the planet. As anyone who has read one of his brilliant books will know, his life is one of a constant thirst for news, a yearning to report from the most dangerous places. As a result, he regularly gets closer than anyone else. Jeremy’s experience in the Middle East could quite comfortably earn him a very well paid job as an advisor somewhere, but instead he keeps on going at the BBC. A gem. May take a while to get into his tweeting stride, but I’m hoping he sticks with it.

Nathalie Malinarich – @nmalinarich – World Editor, BBC News Online

Just as US visitors get their own special index, so too do other international visitors. Or, if you’re in the UK, clicking the World link in the news site’s nav bar will get you there. Nathalie is in charge of all this, co-ordinating international news and features output. Which means if there’s something happening in the world worth reading about, Nathalie will be the one to tweet it.

Alex Hudson – @aj_hudson – Reporter, producer, Question Time tweeter

I hope I haven’t got Alex’s title wrong – he is quite literally a man of many fingers in various media pies. As well as being part of the BBC Click team, Alex is responsible for the wildly successful #bbcqt (that’s BBC Question Time on Twitter, granddad) experiment which has led the social media way for TV productions.

Iain Mackenzie – @iMacUK – Technology editor, BBC News Online

Fresh(ish) back from being Newsbeat’s technology reporter in Washington, Iain Mackenzie is currently editor of News Online’s technology index. When he’s not spending his time sighing over my mangled copy, he is casting a sometimes-sarcastic, always measured eye over the tech world. A fine antidote to technology writers getting all weepy-eyed every time Steve Jobs turns up on screen.

Gary Duffy – @Duffygary – UK editor, BBC News Online

Any newbie to a newsroom like me will constantly be amazed at how the top editors seem to have knowledge on any subject known to the human race. Often, it’s just down to having a very sophisticated reading list – a knack for finding good information on future big news events. And that’s why following Gary Duffy is a decent idea. As well as, like Nathalie, tweeting the best of the UK-orientated BBC content, he also links over to a lot of stuff in the wider media – a glimpse into the news agenda being followed by a top editor.

Lewis Wiltshire – @LewisWiltshire – Editor, BBC Sport Interactive (I think…)

During the last World Cup (I know, I’d erased it from my mind as well) I sat opposite Lewis as the BBC Sport website enjoyed its biggest ever period of traffic. BBC News has done a great job adopting social media, but it still always lags behind the sport team which is  streets ahead in terms of engagement. This is no fluke – Lewis’s approach demonstrates how effective evangelising of new technology at the top of an organisation is essential if it’s to filter down effectively.

Phil Coomes – @philcoomes – Picture editor, BBC News Online

For ages I’ve been quietly campaigning for the BBC to put out a blog like the Boston Globe’s phenomenal Big Pictures section. Alas, we’re not doing it – but what we do have, for the first time, is a serious place for discussion on the best news photography in the world. Phil is at the helm as pictures editor. His recent piece on the grime scene in London is well worth a read, and his tweets give a good eye over what happens on our site when it comes to visuals.

And one more for luck: @bushhousemice

These furry little buggers know more about the BBC than any of us. Put them in charge, pay them with cheese. Pension deficit: SOLVED.

Note: Sorry if I’ve got any titles wrong. Drop me a tweet if I have.