Journ 65 billy's top 10

Social Media for Journalists - Journalism 65

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Looking Ahead

Top Ten TakeawaysFrom Journalism 65: Social Media for Journalists

Via Billy Rivera’s blog: http://bit.ly/qZ95vo


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#10 After reading a blog post, leave a comment

Leaving a thoughtful comment gives the writer feedback and has the potential to shine light on new perspectives or opposing arguments. When someone reads your blog for the first time, they will also see what kind of people have read and commented; therefore, they are gaining wisdom from not only the writer, but also from other readers. It is also important to engage with your readers by replying to their comments. – Billy Rivera

Comment on LinkedIn blog post: http://sharisax.com/2011/03/03/if-facebook-is-the-backyard-barbq-linkedin-is-your-office-space/


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#9 Using #hashtags while tweeting can open the door to more Twitter followers and blog readers.

As part of our weekly assignments, we’ve been asked to tweet with the #journ65 hashtag whenever we’ve published a new blog. Here’s a great example of incorporating hashtags into those tweets.

“#YouTube can answer our questions/keep us on the pulse of #socialmedia. My new #blog explains it all: http://bit.ly/i8CerK

#journ65 #viral“

By simply adding the hashtag symbol [#] to key words within my tweet, I’ve actually created more exposure for myself. If someone searches for any of those hashtags, then my tweet will appear in the search. There are thousands of people out there looking for new bloggers, and when I hashtag #blog in my tweet, doors open to new readers.. – Billy Rivera


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#8 Separate your personal and professional Facebook presence by setting up a separate FB business page

Although we didn’t actually set up our Facebook journalist pages until the last couple weeks of class, the importance of separating your personal and professional (or school) work is very important. As many of us use Facebook to connect with friends and family online, there can be a fine line as to what is appropriate material to share between your personal and professional lives. Having a professional page solves that problem; plus, it allows you to share your blog and Twitter accounts all in one place. – Billy Rivera


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#7 LinkedIn is a great place to connect and learn from journalists around the world

As you can read from my interview with John Le Fevre, the importance of meeting him and asking him to share his wisdom with our class turned out to be one of the best assignments of the semester. LinkedIn serves many purposes: finding a job, connecting with colleagues, asking questions, and participating in discussions. At the end of the day, it’s all about the people you meet who share the same profession, and the guidance they can bring. – Billy Rivera


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#6 When curating for an article, find sources you trust

I recently curated an article about how to interpret surrealism in film, and I must have found over a thousand variations of the same theories.

In the end, I narrowed my sources down to scholars, published authors, and people who had a large number of views on their blogs. Choose carefully as to avoid quoting from someone who may not be trustworthy. . – Billy Rivera

Shari’s post: http://sharisax.com/2011/03/22/is-curation-the-future-of-journalism/


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#5 If you’re stuck in a rut, attend professor’s office hours

I can’t stress enough how important meeting with Shari Weiss during her office hours has been for me. Not only did I get some one-on-one tutoring, I was able to get a better understanding of some of the assignments and how they relate to the bigger picture. Especially when taking an online course, you should attempt to meet with the professor at least once so you both can put a face to a name and engage in “real” conversation.

Some things might not come across the same way online as they do face-to-face. The added bonus is that you’re able to share stories and make that online professional relationship more personable. – Billy Rivera

Shari took this video when Sulaymaan came for an office hour visit:


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#4 Take time to read classmates’ postings

Conducting a large portion of the class in the Facebook group has made it easier to get to know our classmates. On top of following them on Twitter, I have sent friend requests to several people in the class and it has really paid off for me.

I enjoy reading what they do outside of this course, and it gives me a better idea of what my peers are up to and are passionate about. In turn, when reading their blogs, I have a better understanding of who these people are and where they are coming from. – Billy Rivera

Dolores Ransom HarshawI read Jay Rosen's article "What I think I know about Journalism", but couldn't post to it, so I blogged ithttp://dbharshaw.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/what-jay-rosen-thinks-he-know-about-journalism-and-what-i-think-about-his-thoughts/What Jay Rosen thinks he know about journalism…and what I think about his thoughts « AmoAdbharshaw.wordpress.comJay Rosen , teacher of Journalism for 25 years, recently wrote what he thinks he knows about journalism. I found his points interesting, given his perspective; he isn’t trying to choose between social and traditional media; in fact, he’s discussing journalism, not media, per se. Like · · Subscribe · Share · May 23 at 7:57pm

Billy Rivera likes this

Snippet from Journalism 65 Facebook group:


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#3 Social media + Journalism = THE FUTURE

The future of journalism is in our hands. As “citizen journalists” we have the opportunity to shape and change the face of journalism. Social media and social networking are the new pad and pencil. The first step toward making that change is enrolling in this course. Every professional journalist working today obviously has to learn how to use social media.

Whether it’s a professional training program or an online course at Laney College, getting educated is the key to success. I think the future of journalism also lies in technology. Anyone operating without a smartphone is falling behind. If you can’t check your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn on a mobile device, you are confining your “field” to the desk and cubicle.

As technology changes in speed and size, it is important to stay on top of what’s new and what’s coming because it’s going to make our jobs as journalists easier. The future of journalism is literally in the palm of our hands.– Billy Rivera

Read the whole post


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#2 Get your feet wet: explore new, emerging online sites

We all know Facebook and Twitter are here to stay, but what about Foursquare, Splore, or Mashable? The future of social media will always revolve around something new and something old, and as journalists, it is up to us to find what works best for us.

As my interview with John Le Fevre shows, although he loves Twitter, he doesn’t like to use Facebook in any capacity. As this article will demonstrate, there are social media sites popping up left and right, and they’re being designed with very specific categories in mind.

The future of social media is that every aspect of our lives, every interest, every move we make, will tie into a social media site created to specifically enhance those areas. – Billy Rivera


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#1 Take SOCIAL MEDIA for JOURNALISTS to make a significant impact on your future

This class was a serious wake-up call for me. When the course began, I was used to maybe only a 5th of the workload we’ve been given throughout the semester, so I definitely had my work cut out for me.

What I loved the most was that every week there was something new to learn and write about. Waking up each Monday with a new series of assignments all due by the end of the week made me feel like I had a real job. Shari has given us more than just social media tools—she’s given us tools to survive in the real world. After this class I’m ready to put everything we’ve learned to the test by starting my own blog and writing about things I’m passionate about.

Most college courses look to the past to give us a better understanding of the world and where we’re at as a society, but this class looked to the future, and we all know our future will be surrounded with social media. Take this opportunity to make a lasting impact on your life, and recommend others do the same as well. – Billy Rivera Click here to view video

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Journ 65 billy's top 10