Journalism Next:Chapter 10: Managing News as Conversation

Cindy Royal, Ph.D

Assistant Professor

Texas State University

School of Journalism and Mass Communication

croyal@txstate.edu

www.cindyroyal.com

www.onthatnote.com

tech.cindyroyal.net

twitter.com/cindyroyal

facebook.com/cindyroyal

News as Conversation

• Challenge in how to manage and leverage the conversation

• Information wants to be analyzed, shared, synthesized, curated, aggregated, commented on and distributed

• How do journalists participate in the conversation?• What ethical/legal issues?• How do you encourage participation?

Comments

• Journalists not always keen on comments• Better tech, newsrooms accepting

more responsibility, commenters expecting more from each other• Social Web is encouraging interaction

Benefits• Provide transparency on reporting process• Enable an immediate feedback loop• Spread awareness of news converge through word-

of-mouth marketing• Go where audience is, participate where they

participate• Familiarity with tools is important• Make news participatory - link, contribution includes

photos, videos, event listings, etc.• 1-10-100 rule• 1% create content, 10% may comment, 100%

benefit• Doesn't necessarily cost money, but time,

commitment, energy and resources

Tasks

• Evangelizing the brand• Soliciting content and community participation• Moderating comments, blogs, user submissions• Solving user problems with Web tools• Staffing booths at weekend events• Running contests• Informing community establishments about

advertising opportunities

Managing social presence

• Develop sources through social networks• Collaborate with the community• Set guidelines and monitor offensive

postings• Correct errors• Social Media is journalism. Must

engage in genuine conversation