Social media for reporters – tips and takeaways -  - GHS Newsroom
Social media for reporters – tips and takeaways

Social media for reporters – tips and takeaways

By Staff reports
Posted Jun 26, 2012 @ 01:02 PM
Print Comment

Using social media as a reporting tool can provide a newspaper additional insight into the community. Twitter and Facebook are becoming increasingly valuable for breaking news and sourcing – a recent GateHouse News & Interactive webinar reviewed how to use both effectively. To download the complete presentation, click here.

Here’s a quick recap of some of the webinar’s main points:

• Twitter is more conducive for rapid posting on breaking news, but Facebook has a bigger following. Use a combination of both.

• Facebook is great for sharing people-focused stories and features. Twitter is great for news-of-the-minute posts, like traffic updates.

• Use facebook.com/search and Twitter’s advanced search page for sources and stories.

• Create lists on Twitter to read through sources’ posts quickly.

• Be conversational, but objective. Don’t engage in debates with users, and don’t source social media without checking the source.

Using social media as a reporting tool can provide a newspaper additional insight into the community. Twitter and Facebook are becoming increasingly valuable for breaking news and sourcing – a recent GateHouse News & Interactive webinar reviewed how to use both effectively. To download the complete presentation, click here.

Here’s a quick recap of some of the webinar’s main points:

• Twitter is more conducive for rapid posting on breaking news, but Facebook has a bigger following. Use a combination of both.

• Facebook is great for sharing people-focused stories and features. Twitter is great for news-of-the-minute posts, like traffic updates.

• Use facebook.com/search and Twitter’s advanced search page for sources and stories.

• Create lists on Twitter to read through sources’ posts quickly.

• Be conversational, but objective. Don’t engage in debates with users, and don’t source social media without checking the source.

Loading commenting interface...
Comments

Newsroom Handbook
Culture Cube
News Cube
Web Cube
Reader Callouts