When 140 Characters is Dangerous

Wanna send a 20-year career to hell in 140 characters? Get on Twitter:

In the latest case of new media (or oversharing) gone wrong, CNN’s Senior Editor of Mideast Affairs Octavia Nasr is leaving the company following the controversy caused by her tweet in praise of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah

Here's the tweet that got Nasr canned:

Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah.. One of Hezbollah's giants I respect a lot. #Lebanon

The CNN blog has her explanation/retraction. It doesn't read at all like a backtrack but truly the 1000-word context to a 140-character statement. 

Nasr was in a position that's obviously a bit more delicate than others.  All too many things that directly touch upon Israel and Palestine can be hazardous to your employment.  The nuance of language is totally lost in 140 characters.

How should have Octavia Nasr handled this?  Tweet a pointer to a blog entry that offered the explanation up front.  Easier said then done, though, when you're thoughts are racing and the smartphone is in your hand.

Moral of the story: THINK BEFORE YOU TWEET!