From a competitive news mindset, “public acknowledgement equals accreditation,” my colleague explained. “It suggests equivalency, collegiality. The other news outlet, they’re not in a position just yet to be breaking anybody’s rice bowl. But the attitude above me is: well, who wants to help them get there?” As more news organizations wrestle with the effects and implications of social media, the costs of petty rivalry will grow. Because casual public conversations are one way to help wary, jealous competitors evolve into friendly potential collaborators. Casually greeting someone at a competing news outlet via a Twitter @reply is a type of social grooming—subtle cues that build and sustain relationships that are (or might become) mutually beneficial. Microsoft researcher Danah Boyd wrote of this phenomenon: “Conversation is more than the explicit back and forth between individuals asking questions and directly referencing one another. It’s about the more subtle back and forth that allow us to keep our connections going.” Social grooming also can be a public act, especially when it happens in public tweets. It transmits a collegial tone, despite competitive circumstances. It’s a subtle way to let people outside either newsroom see that the news orgs are not enemies. By not giving each other the cold shoulder, news orgs aren’t yielding turf—they’re leaving options open.