Twitter improves your journalism

your journalismSteve Buttry

Webinar for Digital First MediaDecember 7, 2011

improves

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Use with other social tools

“We used all social media at our disposal to engage the public – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, our websites, email, you name it.”-- Steve Hunt, San Gabriel Valley Tribune

• Many more users• Much info private• Tougher to search• Not as immediate

(less frequent updates)

• Engage, don’t intrude

• Great for breaking news

• Great real-time search

• Engagement not as intrusive

• Hashtags help w/ search, conversation

Ways to use Twitter• Breaking news• Community conversation• Twitter Search (advanced)• Hashtags (regular & spontaneous)• Live-tweeting events• Crowdsourcing• Content for web & print

Bookmark this page

https://twitter.com/#!/search-advanced

Vetting tweeps, verifying info• Check full Twitter stream, profile• Connect on phone, in person• Check location (not 100% reliable)• Others verifying? Clusters, not echos• Photos? • Other sources, other tweeps• Ask, “How do you know that?”

More on verificationCraig Silverman tips:

http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/eight_simple_rules_for_doing_a.php

Mandy Jenkins tips:http://zombiejournalism.com/2011/09/b-s-detection-for-journalists

/

Say what you don’t know

Why use hashtags?• Find other sources• Expand your audience• Organize content (for feeds & contacting)• Follow the discussion

Hashtag tips• Use re-usable hashtags (#okstorm)• Search for hashtag(s) already in use • If a hashtag is already in use, adopt it• If not, choose one that’s simple & unique• Geographic abbreviation helps (#ctirene)• Geographic better than branded

(#copreps better than #dppreps)

Routine beat coverage• Follow officials & agencies on beat• Conversation w/ community• Hashtags (regular & spontaneous)• Lists (Twitter, TweetDeck, HootSuite)• Breaking news• Crowdsourcing• Live-tweet or liveblog (can feed in

tweets)

Connecting w/ community• Use Advanced Twitter Search to find &

check local tweeps• Search terms & location to find people

tweeting about your beat• Check followers of newsroom account• See who tweeps are conversing with• Who follows agencies, people on beat?

Crowdsource

Crowdsource

Crowdsource

Live-tweeting prep• Get names (confirm spelling), titles in

advance (ask, get program, etc.)• Set scene, saying what you’re covering &

that you’re live-tweeting• Describe your circumstances, vantage

point: at event, watching on TV, curating tweets (Andy Carvin)

Live-tweeting tips• Don’t transcribe; observe & report• In sports, mix play-by-play & commentary• Use hashtag (& check to respond)• OK to pause for checking facts, names• Note significant pause (halftime, lunch)• Fun interludes, exchanges, anecdotes• Check facts before you hit “tweet”

Live-tweeting situations• Trials• Meetings• Sporting events (curate w/ public tweets:

Friday Night Tweets)• Festivals• Breaking stories• Remember to feed live-tweets into site

Twitter helps your siteContent:• Feed liveblog

(CoverItLive, ScribbleLive)

• Widgets• Curate social media

(Storify, Storyful)• Stories

Traffic:• Your tweets• Retweets• Reach audience not

visiting site

Time management• Saves time in breaking news &

crowdsourcing• Mobile apps let you tweet & read on the

go• 140 characters doesn’t take long to write

or read• TweetDeck, HootSuite, lists, search

Twitter basics• Use real name in profile, even if you can’t

for username• Upload photo or logo (not default egg)• ID yourself as journo & name your org• Add mobile info in settings• Check your mentions; reply when

appropriate

Right now• Find 5 people in your community or on

your beat to follow• Tweet 3 times this afternoon about what

you’re covering, reading, doing, etc.• Retweet someone• Update profile (if needed)• Search local tweets on a newsy keyword

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