News. The word, when alone, seems cold, harsh, and unwelcoming. These are the straight facts that the reporter is telling you and you better listen. Well, not anymore. News has revolved into more of a conversation among the writers and readers.
“Being social with users is easier than ever before, and the more social a journalist is with people. the more sources a journalist can mine” said Jay Rosen, a professor at New York University.
There are several ways that a journalist can open the conversation to the public.
Conversing through comments
- Allows an open forum to discuss different news issues
- Results can sometimes be ugly or hateful comments
- Allows the conversation to change from one consumer to the next
Conversing through social networking
- Social networks are important tools for online communities
- Adults make up the bulk of online users
- Everyone else is communicating and connecting through social networking and it is important for reporters to do the same
- It would be to the detriment of a news organization to not utilize a social networking site
Social media tips for journalists- provided by Kelly McBride
- Use social networking sites and become familiar with them
- Be mindful that you represent more than yourself; think of the larger company that your name is associated with
- Presume that tweets, status updates, or other content will go further in terms of reach than you intended them to go
- Ask your boss to follow you on Twitter because it is a good accountability measure
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