Social Media & Reporting

Steve ButtryTCU Student Media

August 16, 2012#JSchoolCamp

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

(will often see links, mentions on Twitter)• Embed in stories, blogs

• Interview by video Hangouts• Find sources on breaking news stories• Follow sources in Circles• Follow beat topics in Sparks• Boosts search results

Photo sharing

• Do agencies, people on beat post photos?• Search for keywords, photos• Invite people to contribute photos on

news stories• Connect w/ people posting photos• Seek permission (check conditions)• Give credit

Document sharing

Link-sharing

Location-based services

• “Mayor” is great source about a business or venue (employee or customer)

• See who has checked in for breaking news story

• Tips might provide questions for stories• Break story w/ Foursquare “shout”• Provide tips on campus-area venues

Social blogging

• Gaining popularity for Gif blogs• Great for niche, narrow-focus blogs• Strong sharing• Highly visual

Networking, travel

• Connect with sources• Find new sources through connections,

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

Curation

Live reporting

Social fame is fleeting

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

reporting

• Report news• Distribute content• Personal &

newsroom accounts• Market brand• Generate revenue

• 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

• 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 using Facebook:• Use branded accounts• All or most content public on personal

account• Subscriptions• Journalist page

• Follow officials & agencies on beat• Twitter Search (advanced)• Hashtags (regular & spontaneous)• Breaking news• Crowdsourcing

Why use• It can save you time• It extends your reach• It’s an engaging, conversational tool• It’s great for connecting with

eyewitnesses• Powerful real-time search

?

Before the big story breaks• Follow lots of local people (location

search, replies, retweets, check followers)

• Join local conversation• Master Twitter search (advanced)• Promote local #hashtag taxonomy

(#okstorm, #tcunews)• Use Twitter routinely on your beat

When the big story breaks• Twitter Search

(advanced)• Connect w/ witnesses• Crowdsource• Tweet early & often• Seek verification• Address rumors (say

what you don’t know)• Seek photos

• Converse• Answer questions• Thank contributors• Promote fresh content• Link to new reports

(even competitors’)• Be human (fun where

appropriate)

@statesman case study

Crowdsource

Crowdsource

Say what you don’t know

Converse w/ public

Link to fresh content

Link to fresh content

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