engagement in reporting

Engagement in reporting

Steve ButtryThe Gazette

March 19, 2012#gaztrain

Read more about it• stevebuttry.wordpress.com• slideshare.net/stevebuttry• @stevebuttry• zombiejournalism.com• https://www.newsu.org/introduction-to-

reporting • stephenbuttry@gmail.com

Do some live-tweeting• Take notes for this workshop on

Twitter #gaztrain

What engagement isCommunity engagement = News orgs make top priority to listen, to join, lead & enable conversation to elevate journalism.

What engagement isn’t• Promotion (though it has promotional

value)• Distribution of content (though you

should)• Purely a digital pursuit (it uses digital

tools along w/ traditional ones)

What engagement isCommunity engagement = News orgs make top priority to listen, to join, lead & enable conversation to elevate journalism.

Avenues of Engagement• Social media• Blogs• Crowdsourcing• Breaking news• Stories • Events• Curation• Aggregation

• Content submissions• Interactive content• Voting, contests• Comments• Schools, groups• Feedback• Print• Face to face

Engagement in reporting• Social media• Blogs• Crowdsourcing• Breaking news• Stories • Events• Curation• Aggregation

• Content submissions• Interactive content• Voting, contests• Comments• Schools, groups• Feedback• Print• Face to face

• 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

Why to 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

How to use • Follow officials & agencies on beat• Twitter Search (advanced)• Hashtags (regular & spontaneous)• Follow community conversation• Breaking news• Crowdsourcing• Live-tweeting

Bookmark this page

https://twitter.com/#!/search-advanced

Vetting tweeps, verifying info• Check full Twitter stream, profile• Connect on phone, in person• Check location (not 100% reliable)• Others verifying? Clusters, not echos• Photos? • Other sources, other tweeps• Ask, “How do you know that?”

More on verificationCraig Silverman tips:

http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/eight_simple_rules_for_doing_a.php

Mandy Jenkins tips:http://zombiejournalism.com/2011/09/b-s-detection-for-journalists

/

Say what you don’t know

Why use hashtags?• Find other sources• Expand your audience• Organize content (for feeds & contacting)• Follow the discussion

Hashtag tips• Use re-usable hashtags (#okstorm)• Search for hashtag(s) already in use • If a hashtag is already in use, adopt it• If not, choose one that’s simple & unique• Geographic abbreviation helps (#ctirene)• Geographic better than branded

(#copreps better than #dppreps)

Connecting w/ community• Use Advanced Twitter Search to find &

check local tweeps• Search terms & location to find people

tweeting about your beat• Check followers of newsroom account• See who tweeps are conversing with• Who follows agencies, people on beat?

Twitter helps your siteContent:• Feed liveblog

(CoverItLive, ScribbleLive)

• Widgets• Curate social media

(Storify, Storyful)• Stories

Traffic:• Your tweets• Retweets• Reach audience not

visiting site

Time management• Saves time in breaking news &

crowdsourcing• Mobile apps let you tweet & read on the

go• 140 characters doesn’t take long to write

or read• TweetDeck, HootSuite, lists, search

• Connect w/ sources (balance, disclosure?)

• Check pages of agencies, people on beat• Crowdsourcing• Look for people in the news• Ask for permission to use photos

Options for journalists:• Use personal FB account, all or most

public• Enable subscriptions (decide which

updates are public)• Journalist page

Use other social tools, too

What is curation?Museum curator:• Studies topic• Chooses relevant

content (other sources & museum collection)

• Authenticates• Groups related items• Provides context• Presents exhibit

Journalism curator:• Studies topic• Chooses relevant

content (social media, blogs, staff)

• Authenticates• Groups related items• Provides context• Presents collected

content

Authenticate & attribute• Ask: “How do you know that?”• Ask careful questions of crowd to help

you vet & verify• Check links, tweets & information on

sources• Link to original source• Attribute

Why crowdsource?• It saves time• Connecting with sources has always been

one of a journalist’s most important jobs• You bring more voices to your news

reports• The crowd knows more than we do• You engage the community

Crowdsource

Crowdsource

Crowdsource

Read more about it• stevebuttry.wordpress.com• slideshare.net/stevebuttry• @stevebuttry• zombiejournalism.com• https://www.newsu.org/introduction-to-

reporting • stephenbuttry@gmail.com