Using social mediafor journalism

Steve ButtryBennington Banner

March 18, 2013

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Ways to use social media• Daily routine• Find sources• Breaking news• Crowdsourcing• Investigative reporting• Distribute content

Great for promotion, but also …• Great for reporting• Find story ideas• Crowdsource• Join the conversation (reply, retweet, ask

questions)

• Many more users• Much info private• Tougher to search

(but search just changed)

• Not as immediate• Engage, don’t

intrude

• Great for breaking news

• Great real-time search

• Engagement not as intrusive

• Hashtags help w/ search, conversation

Personal vs. professional use• Separate accounts OK but not necessary• Always behave professionally, even on

private accounts• Be personable on pro accounts• Presume boss will see all posts• Don’t bore pro audience

• Connect w/ sources (balance, disclosure?)

• Check pages of agencies, people on beat• Crowdsourcing (ask on their pages as

well as yours)• Look for people in the news• Ask for permission to use photos

Options for journalists:• Use personal FB account, all or most

public• Journalist page• Personal account, enable subscriptions

(decide which updates are public)

Engagement issues for newsroom pages:• Images engage better than updates (put

link in text)• Not allowed to post AP photos

(thumbnails OK)• Questions engage• Frame the debate

2 things that help most• Post photos, not updates

• Start conversations (not headlines)

• Important for search• Find sources• Connect w/ sources in Circles• Interview by video Hangouts• Livestream Hangouts on YouTube

• Do agencies, people on beat use?• Watch for public videos getting attention

(will often see links, mentions on Twitter)• Search for videos to use in stories• Embed in stories, blogs

• Growing swiftly• Users share (pin, re-pin) visual content• 80% of users are women• Heavy use for food, fashion, travel• Embeddable• How might you use?

Pottstown Mercury wanted posters• 58% increase in arrests on outstanding

warrants• 1,218 followers• Post to Facebook, too (bigger audience

than Pinterest)

• Do agencies on beat post photos?• Search for keywords, photos, hashtags• Invite people to contribute photos • Connect w/ people posting photos• Seek permission (check conditions)• Give credit

• “Mayor” may be good source about an org or venue (employee or customer)

• See who has checked in for event or breaking news story

• Tips might provide questions for stories• Break story w/ Foursquare “shout”

• Connect with sources• Find new sources through connections,

groups• Discussions help find experts• Check updates, slides, travel• Search by location & keyword

What is curation?Museum curator:• Studies topic• Chooses relevant

content (other sources & museum collection)

• Authenticates• Groups related items• Provides context• Presents exhibit

Journalism curator:• Studies topic• Chooses relevant

content (social media, blogs, staff)

• Authenticates• Groups related items• Provides context• Presents collected

content

• Curate tweets, FB updates, videos, photos• Can be main story or social media sidebar• Easy to group related items, write text for

lead, transitions• Can embed in article template

Geofeedia• Gathers social media reports around a

particular location automatically• DFM training just started• Available to help Bennington: Ivan Lajara

Social fame is fleeting

Ethical issues• Identify yourself as a journalist w/

Bennington Banner• Behave professionally on personal

accounts• Be personable on pro accounts• Verify facts• Discuss whether opinion is appropriate

Read more about it• stevebuttry.wordpress.com• slideshare.net/stevebuttry• @stevebuttry• zombiejournalism.com• stephenbuttry@gmail.com