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Module 1:

Social Media

Journalism

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Early days…

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The Internet circa 1994

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Internet in 2014

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Where is everyone?1.35 billion monthly active users*

Malaysia: >15.6 million**

1b unique users/month, 6b hrs watched/month100hrs of video uploaded/1 min****

554m users+Malaysia: 1.128 million++

600 million active users/month^

313m registered users***Malaysia: >1.162m**

300m active users+++Malaysia: ?

200 million active users/month^

194 million blogs^

76.5 million blogs^

70 million users^10

Sources: *Facebook.com (Q2, 2014) **Socialbakers.com (April, 2014), ***Linkedin (Q2, 2014),

****YouTube , +Twitter (Q2 2014), ++GreyReview, +++Google (Q2, 2014), ^DMR

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People “formerly known as readers”• Spoilt for choice

• Media agnostic: No single product/brand

loyalty (destination sites/portals waning)

• Frustrated with all-in-one package, want

customized-for-me media

• Want to be part of process, more engagement

• Increasingly social media-savvy and

empowered

• Emerging as new generation of video

producers, creative class of their own

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People are increasingly spending more time in social media than any other media

“Fish where the fish are!”

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“My readers know more

than I do; that is not a

threat, but rather an

opportunity”

Dan Gillmor

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Newsmakers have gone social

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Living in a selfie world

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Celebs have reach + influenceTwitter:

@LisaSurihani : 2.25m Followers

@Shaheizy_Sam : 1.63m Followers

Facebook Fan Page:

Lisa Surihani : 2.94m likes

Shaheizy Sam : 1.78m likes

* As of Aug 17, 2014

Twitter:

@bharianmy : 780k Followers

@StarOnline : 376k Followers

@hmetromy : 279k Followers

@bernamadotcom: 227k Followers

@umonline : 186k Followers

Facebook Fan Page:

Berita Harian : 2.13m likes

Utusan Online : 1.25m likes

Sinar Harian : 1.45m likes

Harian Metro : 1.70m likes

TheStarOnline : 324k likes

Bernama : 192k likes

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Reporters have alternative selves

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Reporters are sourcing ideas for

stories from social networks

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Actual job adReporter / Senior Reporter

Posting Date : 02 Sep 2014 | Close Date :01 Oct 2014

TODAY is looking for a reporter/senior reporter for its digital news desk. Ideal candidates will have editorial experience

in covering world and/or local news, with an innate sense of what works for an online audience.

Responsibilities:

- You will be responsible for reporting on breaking news, both local and foreign, on TODAY’s social media platforms

and website, as well as producing compelling, shareable news content.

- You will monitor and manage TODAY’s social media feeds, and be part of the social media conversation revolving

around daily news.

- You will represent the TODAY brand to engage readers intelligently across all digital platforms, and help drive traffic

to TODAY’s digital properties.

- Working with other desks, as well as the online team, you will help conceptualise and execute online-specific

initiatives that appeal to an audience on web, mobile and social media.

- You will be expected to work weekends and public holidays, and irregular hours.

Requirements:

- You must possess a sharp news sense, with a good knowledge of local news and current affairs.

- Your writing must be fast, clean and accurate.

- You have a keen interest in all things social media and an acute understanding of how to leverage on social media to

reach an audience as well as to gather news. A strong social media profile is a plus.

- You thrive in a fast-paced environment, and seek new, innovative ways of presenting content.

- You have a working understanding of SEO and web analytics.

- Senior reporters need a minimum of three years’ experience in journalism, with a strong track record of news-

gathering.

- Web design, programming, subbing, photography or video editing skills will be a bonus.

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Case study

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Challenges• Fear of change: Journalists, editors not savvy

with explosion of new apps and tools

• Online/mobile not fully embraced by management nor developed as independent entity

• Resources squeezed, management does not want to spend money on new tools, training

• New journalists: Not a vocation, copy and paste culture, attitude, lack of initiative

• Silo thinking in editorial/sections/ad depts

• Online and mobile news sites not generating enough revenue

• A few big media setting up paywalls (may fail)

• Competition from unlikely competitors continues to grow

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The Magazine: Marco Arment

• Launched Oct 2012

• US$1.99 per month, had 25,000 subscribers

• Two issues/month, four or five stories

• Only on iOS

• When founded – one-man show

• Sold it to editor in May, 2013

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Opportunities• Early days yet. Never too late to learn,

vast resources to learn new skills eg: MOOCs

• You can tap into the public as sources of for story ideas, quotes, photos, videos like never before

• More accountability, transparency and community participation in the journalism process. Engage them!

• You can become a brand: Individual journalists/editors may be able to break out on their own and create new ventures for the company or themselves.

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Objectives of this training•Learn how to use social and mobile

applications and tools as part of your online

skill sets

•Learn to use these apps responsibly on a

daily basis to gather, source, verify, produce

and promote stories from your news

organisation

•Connect, build and grow a community of

followers and fans that are loyal to your brand

•Understand social media from a news

business perspective

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Lesson 1:

“It’s never too late to learn,”says Haji Mohamed Abu Hassan, 64-year-old

retired school teacher, Kg Jana Sambungan,

Kamunting. Named oldest Malaysian webmaster

by fan at that time, after winning more than 35

awards for website design.

Published in Golden Surfers, CNet

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Lesson 2: No test, no licence, no

passport. You alone determine

how far you can go…

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Lesson 3: The WAO story

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“Technology is nothing. What's

important is that you have a faith

in people, that they're basically

good and smart, and if you give

them tools, they'll do wonderful

things with them,”

Steve Jobs

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Hint: Share some stuff and start the conversation.