Sometimes, Twitter handles can make life more fun.

For example, Monday's news that @jeromesoco has been named editor in chief of Religion News Service gave my GetReligion colleague Jim Davis a nice chuckle.

"Oh, that's funny!" Jim said. "I misread that at first as Jim Romenesko!"

Romenesko's name is, of course, familiar with media types: He's a prominent blogger on the internal goings-on of journalism. (His real Twitter handle, by the way, is @romenesko.)

Meanwhile, the actual new RNS editor is Jerome Socolovsky (whose last name I am copying and pasting to avoid any spelling mishaps):

Socolovsky succeeds Kevin Eckstrom, who left the nonprofit news organization at the end of May to become chief communications officer for the Washington National Cathedral:

For those not familiar with Socolovsky, what is his background? RNS' press release on his appointment provides details:

(RNS) Jerome Socolovsky, an award-winning journalist with experience at some of the world’s leading media organizations, has been named Religion News Service’s new editor-in-chief.

Socolovsky, a seasoned religion reporter and editor who has worked for Voice of America, National Public Radio, The Associated Press and United Press International, will lead an editorial staff of six reporters and editors, and dozens of bloggers and freelancers.

He will begin his new role in November.

“I’m honored and thrilled to have been chosen to lead such a superb team of reporters and commentators,” Socolovsky said. “Their clear and balanced reporting on religion has never been more vital in our world, where belief is a crucial and often misunderstood component of so many news stories. I have long been fascinated by religion in all its forms, and intend to lead an organization that engages in ambitious and innovative coverage of a broad range of issues.”

Concerning RNS, we at GetReligion wrote back in April:

Many readers may have noticed that your GetReligionistas have a love-hate relationship with RNS.

On the one hand, it's impossible to miss the importance to the Godbeat of a national wire service focused on religion news coverage. RNS' staff includes some of the best, smartest, most experienced Godbeat pros on the planet. This blog has urged support for RNS since we opened our doors 11 years ago.

On the other hand, RNS' subtle and sometimes not-too-subtle editorializing on certain topics concerns us — the frequent blurring of the lines between hard news content and commentary.

Just this week, we raised concerns about RNS' approach to Twitter:

Overall, RNS' Twitter feed is an uneven mix of news and opinion, straightforward journalism and snarky editorializing — all of which make it difficult to know exactly how to interpret any given tweet. Personally, I'd love to see RNS do a better job of differentiating between news and opinion — for the sake of its journalistic reputation.

I don't know Socolovsky, but people who do speak highly of him. We at GetReligion congratulate him on his appointment and wish him all the best.

Here's hoping that RNS can thrive — and stick closer to its impartial, hard news roots — under his leadership.