The Bureau of Meteorology has made a social media slip, after announcing it didn’t want to be called the BoM anymore.
In a statement sent to journalists on Tuesday morning, the weather authority asked publications to update how the organisation was referenced in the media.
“The Bureau of Meteorology asks that media outlets update editorial style to ensure references to the organisation are by its full name, the Bureau of Meteorology or the Bureau for short, and not BoM or the Weather Bureau,” they wrote.
The request was made in an effort to ensure the Bureau’s “insights, wisdom, data and information” would be well-respected and “shared, understood and acted upon”.
The change in style also came with a revamp of their national, and state and territory specific Twitter handles, which would be updated to @TheBureau_Au, and @TheBureau_NSW, @TheBureau_ACT, @TheBureau_Vic, @TheBureau_Tas, @TheBureau_Qld, @TheBureau_SA, @TheBureau_NT and @TheBureau_WA.
However, the BoM *ahem* Bureau made one crucial error. Prior to announcing the change of their new Twitter accounts, the organisation had yet to claim the username. Within minutes of sharing the statement, the Bureau’s intended Twitter usernames had already been taken by members of the public.
External Twitter users had changed their handles to @TheBureau_AU, @TheBureau_NSW, @TheBureau_ACT and @TheBureau_Tas, leaving them unavailable for future use.
Although the account has since been suspended, what would have been the weather authority’s main account @TheBureau_AU was edited to read: “Australia’s Little Bureau,” with its profile photo updated to feature a wooden writing desk (i.e. a bureau).
@TheBureau_NSW was also taken, with its display name updated to read as: “Bureau of MEMEorology (parody)”.
“Absolute rookie mistake by the Bureau of Meteorology to announce what they were changing their Twitter handle to BEFORE they actually did it,” the account shortly tweeted after the name change.
The account later said it would give the Bureau back their Twitter handle if it met his “three simple demands”. They included: A weather balloon, a signed photo of Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac, and the power to manipulate the weather.
As it stands, the Bureau have yet to respond.
On social media, journalists took to Twitter to make light of the change.
“If The BoM never want to be called The BoM again I’m afraid the only thing they can do now is move to a new school,” wrote comedian and podcast host, Dan Ilic.
“The Bureau of Meteorology (whose website is http://bom.gov.au and whose app is called BOM Weather) is asking media not to refer to the organisation as ‘BOM,’” tweeted The Guardian’s political reporter Josh Butler.
“I still call it “Safeway” so honestly the BOM stands no chance with me,” shared writer Anna Spargo-Ryan.
Currently it’s unknown whether the Bureau will continue with the social media strategy, or whether the social media giant will step in to aid the transition.
News.com.au has approached the Bureau of Meteorology however we did not receive a response at the time of publishing.