The Washington Post took swift action after controversial tweets from one of its managing editors Raju Narisetti disclosed opinions on healthcare reform and the hospitalization of Sen. Robert Byrd.

Not only has Narisetti since closed his Twitter account, but the Post on Friday implemented a series of new social networking guidelines. It says the guidelines had previously been in the works, but editors “decided to accelerate the completion of [them]” after the Narisetti incident.

The Associated Press is trying something it’s never tried before with its coverage of the Sonia Sotomayor hearings.

It’s providing round-the-clock tweets at @AP_Courtside, documenting every move of the hearings, allowing the general public easy access to some of AP’s best talent, and using feedback to direct the coverage itself. And that’s not all.

Tonight I had the chance to meet Rick Murray, president of Edelman Digital, a division of Edelman that specializes in digital communication and social media outreach. He says there’s a new 24-hour news cycle and media companies must adapt.

“Today news is broken on Twitter, guaranteed. Then it goes to the Web site, and then the newspaper,” he said. “You have to know this because this is where things are going.”