Foreign and Commonwealth Office spends over £92,000 teaching staff how to use Twitter
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has spent £92,574 since 2010 to train staff on how to use Twitter.
A Freedom of Information request revealed the figure, with using social media in a crisis situation and using social to help the public understand foreign polices among the courses taught to staff, including embassy officials overseas.
External companies, including Nixon McInnes, were amongst the companies providing the training.
The Foreign Office said in the request that the trained helped staff understand “using social media to improve the understanding of public and civil society opinion on foreign policy issues leading to more informed foreign policy making”.
According to the department, the Twitter account does not use any automation, and uses Twitter to promote news and press releases; speeches and statements by the foreign secretary and Foreign Office ministers; photos; retweets of notable announcements by UK government departments and organisations; and live event coverage.