When it comes to journalists enjoying a close relationship with listeners, viewers and readers, it's hard to beat local media.

Tell a story well, or badly, and you'll soon hear direct from your audience - whether you're out walking the same patch tomorrow or just standing in the chip shop queue.

So it's not surprising that our teams in BBC English Regions have been embracing the immediacy and connectedness of social networking for some time - from Look North on Facebook and Dean Jackson's The Beat on Twitter, to newsgathering experiments like BBC London's award-winning deployment of Crowdmap during 2010′s Tube strikes.

But until now there's never been a unified document for BBC staff bringing together these activities and our plans to push them forward. ... Read More