Twitter allows interaction with the viewers I'm trying to reach. Twitter allows Tweeps to share in my day, share my journey of news each night. Twitter makes the news more than just headlines. Twitter allows transparency in news coverage. Twitter allows Tweeps to have ownership in the news.
All of that is possible in Twitter because Twitter is what you want it to be. You can make Twitter work for you in any way that you want. I use Twitter for all the above reasons.
I have two simple Twitter Rules:
Interact
Be courteous
I've shown myself to be an average person, just like you, doing my job that happens to be in news. Tweeps follow me and now trust me. This became apparent Friday night when I received a this Tweet FROM @RR5280:
TO @msmistyj My daughter jst got home says she just witnessed a hi speed police chase invlving 6-7 police cars chasing a Passat(?) In WR/Arvada"
I hadn't heard it yet on the scanners. At that point I was in breaking news mode: listen, confirm, analyze, cover. Below is my Twitter conversation through the night. See for yourselves how viewers responded and helped me cover this breaking news. (Unless the message starts with FROM, the Tweets are mine directed to other Tweeps and all that follow me. When the message starts with FROM, that is a Tweet sent to me.)
1. @RR5280 how long ago? I'm hearing something now that's requiring Air One to assist in a search.. but have no details yet9:49 PM Mar 27th in reply to RR5280
2. FROM: @RR5280 TO @msmistyj About 5-10 minutes ago she was at 52nd and Wadsworth. Chase was going south on Wads so already you've prbbly got 2-3 jurisdict ...
3. sounds like we've got a perimeter around 47th/Lamar.. incident started in Arvada, ended in Wheat Ridge w/suspect on loose9:53 PM Mar 27th
4. @RR5280 I'm not sure yet what suspect is wanted for.. hearing 1 BOLO for a domestic abuse suspect, but have nothing confirmed yet9:54 PM Mar 27th in reply to RR5280
5. FROM: @angel_elle3300 TO @msmistyj several police cars blocking the north bound lanes of wads at i70
6. @angel_elle3300 thanks! I think there's a suspect search, but don't have details yet.9:55 PM Mar 27th in reply to angel_elle3300
7. @angel_elle3300 @RR5280 all Arvada dispatch will tell me is there was an ax NB Wads @ I70. Sounds like there's a run vehicle involved.9:57 PM Mar 27th in reply to angel_elle3300
8. FROM: @joshclauss TO @msmistyj Following you makes me feel safer and scares the bejesus out of me all at the same time.
9. @joshclauss tell me about it! I hear scanners in my sleep... good dreams and bad9:58 PM Mar 27th in reply to joshclauss
10. Arvada PIO is checking on situation for me. From what I can tell, 1 or even 2, accident scenes, now a search requesting Air 1 & K9 units10:01 PM Mar 27th
11. Arvada PIO CONFIRMS suspect fled from @ least 1ax scene. Poss. suspect was involved in 2 ax. Air1 & K9 searching. @RR5280 @angel_elle330010:06 PM Mar 27th in reply to RR5280
12. Scanner has perimeter set up in Wheat Ridge jurisdiction. Can now hear crews on the CLEER ch. an inter-agency ch. for them to communicate.10:09 PM Mar 27th
13. NOT confirmed: one of these accidents may have resulted in a fatality. Photographer is headed to scene10:13 PM Mar 27th
14. @angel_elle3300 thanks. PD think suspect is on foot following clear creek. He's injured, trailing blood. @RR528010:17 PM Mar 27th in reply to angel_elle3300
15. FROM: @angel_elle3300 TO @msmistyj wads closed both directions police lined south side of i70 but harlan exit open eastbound
16. @angel_elle3300 thanks for road info.. that really helps the photographer who is trying to get to the scene10:20 PM Mar 27th in reply to angel_elle3300
17. can hear the a K9 unit barking while searching for suspect who may have lost his shoe in clear creek.10:24 PM Mar 27th
18. I'll be checking w/photographer thru the night, but I must leave the news desk for now. Thanks for following 2day!10:36 PM Mar 27th
19. Photographer finally headed back 2 the station. PIO went 2 scene 2do interview. CONFIRM suspect driving stolen vehicle crashes & flees.12:31 AM Mar 28th
20. Arvada: CONFIRM driver of 2nd vehicle was taken to hospital in critical condition. Suspect still on the loose. Search ongoing.12:31 AM Mar 28th
21. Arvada: that's all we'll get 2nite. Will have 2 follow 2morrow.12:32 AM Mar 28th
22. Arvada: photographer checking out reported location suspect could be. @ScanColorado reports suspect is in custody @ 4720 Otis12:35 AM Mar 28th
23. FROM: @aarondelay TO @msmistyj and @scancolorado you guys are rocking it out...loving the news and scanner reports!
24. @aarondelay thanks!12:47 AM Mar 28th
25. Photographer reports: "Got the shot." Suspect in Arvada in custody. Good night all. My news night is over. @cbs4denver is always on12:48 AM Mar 28th
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Twitter tips & apps for journalists & everyone else
An effort to understand and utilize Twitter in the newsroom and in life has lead me and my husband, @Edit_Foundry, to search the web and read, read, read. We've found many articles and followed many Tweets on using Twitter. I've decided to start listing what we've found that has been helpful to me as a journalist. My goal is to keep everything in one place so I can easily access it all.
Please use my list, add suggestions and check it out occasionally as I will update it as I find new information to share. The newest links I post will be @ the top of the list.
Twitterfall
This is another web-based Twitter viewer. Twitterfall is supposed to be live, real-time Tweets. I've used it at home just fine, but at work, it doesn't work well at all. It's worth a try if you don't want to continually refresh Twitter and don't want, or are unable, to download any applications.
LocalTweeps
Go to this website to register your zip code. LocalTweeps then groups all of the zip codes registered. This is another tool I can use to seek out Tweeps in the viewing area I am targeting.
TweetWheel
This allows you to see which of your Tweet friends are friends with each other. This really shows you the connections in your Twitter community.
Twitter Apps
Twitter's very own site with popular Applications for you to download.
WeFollow
A user powered Twitter Directory. You add yourself to the directory and categorize yourself with hashtags. Someone searching through the directory will find you by searching hashtags.
Twitscoop
Twitscoop was built to help you stay on top of twitter's hot topics or discussions.
Through an automated algorithm, twitscoop crawls hundreds of tweets every minute and extracts the words which are mentioned more often than usual. The result is displayed in a Tag Cloud, using the following rule: the hotter, the bigger (no joke here).
TweetGrid
This is something I'd like to try and have only ever found Tweets that like using this app. "TweetGrid is a powerful Twitter Search Dashboard that allows you to search for up to 9 different topics, events, conversations, hashtags, phrases, people, groups, etc in real-time. As new tweets are created, they are automatically updated in the grid. No need to refresh the page!"
Twhirl
I use this application at work and at home. So much happens on the desk that I don't have time to continually refresh Twitter. Twhirl is a social software desktop client, based on the Adobe AIR platform. I like that I can keep several Twitter accounts open and running at the same time. I like that DM and replies are different colors so I notice them when they are received. This way I can respond quickly to these messages.
Tweetdeck
I haven't used this application, but it's on my to-do list. From everything I've read, it's a very useful application.
"Tweetdeck is a realtime application that allows users to monitor that information in a single concise view. Tweetdeck currently integrates services from Twitter, Twitscoop, 12seconds, Stocktwits and now Facebook.
But at the heart of Tweedeck, is it's ability to group people together and search across the twittersphere. Grouping friends or work colleagues separately means you have a window on all aspects of your twitter life. Searching across the twittersphere means you can monitor any subject within Twitter. These additional columns automatically update so providing the user with a very effective dashboard of realtime information."
Twitoria
How active are the Tweeps you are following? Twitoria will show you. I have specifically targeted metro Denver and other Colorado Tweeps. I know I've followed a few Public Information Officers, but I haven't seen any updates from them. Twitoria will show me if these PIOs are utilizing Twitter or not, or if I've been missing their Tweets.
Twitual
Twitual is my newest favorite! (Thanks for finding it my dear husband!) It lists Followers - everyone I'm following
Friends - everyone following me
Mutual - following each other
Fans - Tweeps following me, that I'm not following
Idols - Tweeps I follow but don't follow me
Again, since I focus on specific Tweeps by location, and I search out organizations that I converse with or follow daily as news sources, I want to know if these Tweeps are following me back. If I see a PIO is not following me back, I'm going to contact that PIO and request to be followed. Am I being aggressive? Maybe. But, trust me, if you converse with me on Twitter, maybe later I won't be paging you after hours and on the weekends. Or if you Tweet breaking news, I can let you do your job of gathering the info instead of paging you which takes time from you when you call to let me know you have nothing for me but are working on it. Sure I can just watch your Twitter feed and send replies, but sometimes there's breaking news I'm on first that I don't want my competitors to know about. I want to DM you. I can't DM you if you don't follow me back.
Oh, and I know only 2 of the 4 other TV stations in Denver are following me back. I may share a little more breaking news on Twitter now that I know this. Hmmm...
Twellow
Yellow pages for Twitter. No need to say more!
TwitterLocal
I have not yet used TwitterLocal, but it sounds exactly like what I need in my never ending search to connect with people of Metro Denver and Colorado. " TwitterLocal is going to be purely an Adobe AIR based application that allows you to filter Tweets by location."
Twitter Advanced Search
Until I try TwitterLocal, I will continue to use the Advanced search options Twitter give you. Check it out.
Twitter100
I'm just starting to play with this, but I like it so far because I can see 100 followers at one time.
Tweetree
I'm just starting to play with this one as well. "Tweetree puts your Twitter stream in a tree so you can see the posts people are replying to in context. It also pulls in lots of external content like twitpic photos, youtube videos and more, so that you can see them right in your stream without having to click through every link your friends post."
Twittfilter
"Twittfilter is a web based application to help manage your incoming tweets and twitter followers/friends. With Twittfilter you can: Address Book, New Follower Notification, Sorted and Searchable Tweets." I need to play around with this one.
TwTip
Need tips on any subject? Check out TwTip. "TwTip is designed to find and show awesome tips that are shared by Twitter fellows."
Please use my list, add suggestions and check it out occasionally as I will update it as I find new information to share. The newest links I post will be @ the top of the list.
Twitterfall
This is another web-based Twitter viewer. Twitterfall is supposed to be live, real-time Tweets. I've used it at home just fine, but at work, it doesn't work well at all. It's worth a try if you don't want to continually refresh Twitter and don't want, or are unable, to download any applications.
LocalTweeps
Go to this website to register your zip code. LocalTweeps then groups all of the zip codes registered. This is another tool I can use to seek out Tweeps in the viewing area I am targeting.
TweetWheel
This allows you to see which of your Tweet friends are friends with each other. This really shows you the connections in your Twitter community.
Twitter Apps
Twitter's very own site with popular Applications for you to download.
WeFollow
A user powered Twitter Directory. You add yourself to the directory and categorize yourself with hashtags. Someone searching through the directory will find you by searching hashtags.
Twitscoop
Twitscoop was built to help you stay on top of twitter's hot topics or discussions.
Through an automated algorithm, twitscoop crawls hundreds of tweets every minute and extracts the words which are mentioned more often than usual. The result is displayed in a Tag Cloud, using the following rule: the hotter, the bigger (no joke here).
TweetGrid
This is something I'd like to try and have only ever found Tweets that like using this app. "TweetGrid is a powerful Twitter Search Dashboard that allows you to search for up to 9 different topics, events, conversations, hashtags, phrases, people, groups, etc in real-time. As new tweets are created, they are automatically updated in the grid. No need to refresh the page!"
Twhirl
I use this application at work and at home. So much happens on the desk that I don't have time to continually refresh Twitter. Twhirl is a social software desktop client, based on the Adobe AIR platform. I like that I can keep several Twitter accounts open and running at the same time. I like that DM and replies are different colors so I notice them when they are received. This way I can respond quickly to these messages.
Tweetdeck
I haven't used this application, but it's on my to-do list. From everything I've read, it's a very useful application.
"Tweetdeck is a realtime application that allows users to monitor that information in a single concise view. Tweetdeck currently integrates services from Twitter, Twitscoop, 12seconds, Stocktwits and now Facebook.
But at the heart of Tweedeck, is it's ability to group people together and search across the twittersphere. Grouping friends or work colleagues separately means you have a window on all aspects of your twitter life. Searching across the twittersphere means you can monitor any subject within Twitter. These additional columns automatically update so providing the user with a very effective dashboard of realtime information."
Twitoria
How active are the Tweeps you are following? Twitoria will show you. I have specifically targeted metro Denver and other Colorado Tweeps. I know I've followed a few Public Information Officers, but I haven't seen any updates from them. Twitoria will show me if these PIOs are utilizing Twitter or not, or if I've been missing their Tweets.
Twitual
Twitual is my newest favorite! (Thanks for finding it my dear husband!) It lists Followers - everyone I'm following
Friends - everyone following me
Mutual - following each other
Fans - Tweeps following me, that I'm not following
Idols - Tweeps I follow but don't follow me
Again, since I focus on specific Tweeps by location, and I search out organizations that I converse with or follow daily as news sources, I want to know if these Tweeps are following me back. If I see a PIO is not following me back, I'm going to contact that PIO and request to be followed. Am I being aggressive? Maybe. But, trust me, if you converse with me on Twitter, maybe later I won't be paging you after hours and on the weekends. Or if you Tweet breaking news, I can let you do your job of gathering the info instead of paging you which takes time from you when you call to let me know you have nothing for me but are working on it. Sure I can just watch your Twitter feed and send replies, but sometimes there's breaking news I'm on first that I don't want my competitors to know about. I want to DM you. I can't DM you if you don't follow me back.
Oh, and I know only 2 of the 4 other TV stations in Denver are following me back. I may share a little more breaking news on Twitter now that I know this. Hmmm...
Twellow
Yellow pages for Twitter. No need to say more!
TwitterLocal
I have not yet used TwitterLocal, but it sounds exactly like what I need in my never ending search to connect with people of Metro Denver and Colorado. " TwitterLocal is going to be purely an Adobe AIR based application that allows you to filter Tweets by location."
Twitter Advanced Search
Until I try TwitterLocal, I will continue to use the Advanced search options Twitter give you. Check it out.
Twitter100
I'm just starting to play with this, but I like it so far because I can see 100 followers at one time.
Tweetree
I'm just starting to play with this one as well. "Tweetree puts your Twitter stream in a tree so you can see the posts people are replying to in context. It also pulls in lots of external content like twitpic photos, youtube videos and more, so that you can see them right in your stream without having to click through every link your friends post."
Twittfilter
"Twittfilter is a web based application to help manage your incoming tweets and twitter followers/friends. With Twittfilter you can: Address Book, New Follower Notification, Sorted and Searchable Tweets." I need to play around with this one.
TwTip
Need tips on any subject? Check out TwTip. "TwTip is designed to find and show awesome tips that are shared by Twitter fellows."
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Twitter has made me a better assignment editor
I have seen several blogs and news stories about Twitter and how Twitter is changing journalism. Previously I've discussed the future of journalism in the face of new media a.k.a. social media a.k.a. advanced media. I've decided to throw out my two cents on how social media has recently affected me as a journalist. I hope to give fellow journalists some ideas on what they can do as well.
CBS4 News launched Twitter a few months ago and then created a CBS4 News Facebook Fan Page last month. It's been a learning process that's partly dive right in and see what happens and partly go with caution and test the water first. There isn't a day that goes by where I'm not part of a Twitter and/or Facebook conversation in the newsroom.
I've become somewhat of the Twitter expert in the newsroom simply because I dove right in and let it take me on an uncharted course. An @cbs4denver Twitter team was formed in February and I wasn't asked to be a part of the team. Soon after I got tired of not understanding what Twitter is and how it was going to be used. That day I created my own Twitter account @msmistyj.
I had no idea what I was doing. All I understood was that Twitter is a continual status update in 140 characters or less. I also knew that I could follow people and could be followed.
My first mission was to start following people. I started by using the find people function in Twitter. I searched for words like news, wine, garden, green, subjects that interest me. I quickly learned that this function only works if these words are a part of the Twitter users name, but that's all I had so I started to click follow.
I don't remember my first Tweet, but I do remember sitting and observing for a while. One of the Tweeps I followed is an assignment editor in Columbus, Ohio. He does what I do, so I really paid attention to his tweets. I started to see conversations he was having with community members and even with other assignment editors at a competing station! These competing assignment desks were tweeting about breaking news, beat calls, coverage plans. They were picking on each other, congratulating each other and empathizing with each other. I was SHOCKED.
From the searching I've done, I say 10TV and NBC4i in Columbus, Ohio are truly using Twitter to its fullest potential. Most every single member of the newsroom has a Twitter account. It's truly amazing.
It was then a light went off.
People don't just want headlines, teases and promos thrown at them. They want interaction. They want to know what's going on and to have the chance to weigh in on the situation.
Without talking to anyone at the station, I started tweeting what I was hearing on the scanners. I tweeted about phone calls. I tweeted about the craziness of covering news.
Just seeing my Twitter name doesn't tell you that I'm in news. I knew I needed to directly target metro Denver Tweeps. I jumped on the area print and TV twitter pages and started to follow the Tweeps that were following these news sources. I followed only the Tweeps from the metro area and other parts of Colorado.
I continued to Tweet. I paid attention to what everyone was saying and if I felt I could contribute to what was being said, I joined in on the conversation. I shared personal thoughts and information. I shared CBS4 News web links when I thought a story on the website could help provide information.
I am very aware of what I tweet so I don't give away exclusive coverage or share anything with the other stations in Denver that I don't want them to know. Yes, they are following me. Do they really know who I am and I am their competitor? If they're paying attention to my tweets or have even read my Twitter bio, they do. Denver is not like Columbus, Ohio where the desks talk and share openly like that.
Within three days of Tweeting I was actively involved in multiple conversations. I was contacted by a media outlet in Boulder requesting someone to interview regarding the station's DTV switch plan. I was surprised and thrilled with this. People were associating me as a news source. (At this point I emailed the news director and came clean on my Twittering because I had to ask him about the interview request! I wasn't surprised when he told me he'd been following what I was doing and he cautioned me to be aware of what I shared on Twitter.)
Next I noticed a Tweet from @moneyinmarriage on an essay contest she was hosting with the prize being free financial planning/counseling for engaged couples. I checked out her bio and clicked on her website. The moment it opened I knew she was a source for a Beating the Recession story, which is a series the station is currently running.
She was interviewed and the story ran just over a week after I started using Twitter. Since then I've made contacts with several potential story contacts and have had two more stories packaged and aired. I'm sending out tweets almost daily looking for specific individuals to interview for stories the reporters are turning.
I then used Twitter advanced search so I could find all Tweeps in Denver and surrounding areas. I followed everyone I could. People were following me back and suggesting me for others to follow. People were retweeting my tweets to share breaking news, strange news and even my general comments.
People know that I am a real person doing my job just like they do their own jobs. I've gained their trust. Now they contact me with story ideas or possible breaking news situations in their neighborhoods. They share their opinions with me and we have conversations about news coverage.
What I am doing on Twitter is being noticed by several people. I've been thanked for providing another news service. Just today I was sought out by a Twitter API partner, Wikimetro, to join this social media site. (What's way odd is that I directly emailed at work. My work email is not associated at all with my Twitter account. So I was really sought out for someone to research to find my work email.)
It is truly and simply amazing.
This week @cbs4denver started tweeting during the editorial meetings to share the news process and to encourage feedback and story ideas. The responses and interactions have been encouraging and are growing. During these meetings @cbs4denver is no longer just a headline service.
People are noticing what we are doing. They appreciate participating. I feel there is now more transparency in what I and the rest of us do in this newsroom. This is a great feeling. As a journalist I feel better about what I do than I ever have in the past.
In the past two weeks I have had daily conversations with coworkers on how to use Twitter. Coworkers are starting to set up their own personal Twitter accounts as well as contribute to @cbs4news.
Today I believe it was said that I have dual Twitter identities. This is absolutely correct. When I contribute to @cbs4denver I share headlines and seek out input on stories in a professional manner. As @msmistyj I am more open and use Twitter lingo and converse freely. I still don't give away any of the station's news integrity and whenever possible I lead Tweeps to @cbs4denver, www.cbs4denver.com and/or the CBS4 News Facebook Fan Page.
I close out my Twitter convo almost every night with: Scanners are calm. My news night has ended but @cbs4denver is always on! Become a fan of CBS4 News on Facebook http://moourl.com/a10y2
Tweeps have told me they are now converting too or have converted to Channel 4 viewers because of what I share on Twitter. I know for sure one follower even joined the Facebook Fan Page because of me. (She sent me a Tweet telling me so!)
Twitter has made me a better assignment editor. Since I want to tweet to keep the conversations going, to keep me relevant to my followers, I'm listening more closely to the scanners than ever before!
CBS4 News launched Twitter a few months ago and then created a CBS4 News Facebook Fan Page last month. It's been a learning process that's partly dive right in and see what happens and partly go with caution and test the water first. There isn't a day that goes by where I'm not part of a Twitter and/or Facebook conversation in the newsroom.
I've become somewhat of the Twitter expert in the newsroom simply because I dove right in and let it take me on an uncharted course. An @cbs4denver Twitter team was formed in February and I wasn't asked to be a part of the team. Soon after I got tired of not understanding what Twitter is and how it was going to be used. That day I created my own Twitter account @msmistyj.
I had no idea what I was doing. All I understood was that Twitter is a continual status update in 140 characters or less. I also knew that I could follow people and could be followed.
My first mission was to start following people. I started by using the find people function in Twitter. I searched for words like news, wine, garden, green, subjects that interest me. I quickly learned that this function only works if these words are a part of the Twitter users name, but that's all I had so I started to click follow.
I don't remember my first Tweet, but I do remember sitting and observing for a while. One of the Tweeps I followed is an assignment editor in Columbus, Ohio. He does what I do, so I really paid attention to his tweets. I started to see conversations he was having with community members and even with other assignment editors at a competing station! These competing assignment desks were tweeting about breaking news, beat calls, coverage plans. They were picking on each other, congratulating each other and empathizing with each other. I was SHOCKED.
From the searching I've done, I say 10TV and NBC4i in Columbus, Ohio are truly using Twitter to its fullest potential. Most every single member of the newsroom has a Twitter account. It's truly amazing.
It was then a light went off.
People don't just want headlines, teases and promos thrown at them. They want interaction. They want to know what's going on and to have the chance to weigh in on the situation.
Without talking to anyone at the station, I started tweeting what I was hearing on the scanners. I tweeted about phone calls. I tweeted about the craziness of covering news.
Just seeing my Twitter name doesn't tell you that I'm in news. I knew I needed to directly target metro Denver Tweeps. I jumped on the area print and TV twitter pages and started to follow the Tweeps that were following these news sources. I followed only the Tweeps from the metro area and other parts of Colorado.
I continued to Tweet. I paid attention to what everyone was saying and if I felt I could contribute to what was being said, I joined in on the conversation. I shared personal thoughts and information. I shared CBS4 News web links when I thought a story on the website could help provide information.
I am very aware of what I tweet so I don't give away exclusive coverage or share anything with the other stations in Denver that I don't want them to know. Yes, they are following me. Do they really know who I am and I am their competitor? If they're paying attention to my tweets or have even read my Twitter bio, they do. Denver is not like Columbus, Ohio where the desks talk and share openly like that.
Within three days of Tweeting I was actively involved in multiple conversations. I was contacted by a media outlet in Boulder requesting someone to interview regarding the station's DTV switch plan. I was surprised and thrilled with this. People were associating me as a news source. (At this point I emailed the news director and came clean on my Twittering because I had to ask him about the interview request! I wasn't surprised when he told me he'd been following what I was doing and he cautioned me to be aware of what I shared on Twitter.)
Next I noticed a Tweet from @moneyinmarriage on an essay contest she was hosting with the prize being free financial planning/counseling for engaged couples. I checked out her bio and clicked on her website. The moment it opened I knew she was a source for a Beating the Recession story, which is a series the station is currently running.
She was interviewed and the story ran just over a week after I started using Twitter. Since then I've made contacts with several potential story contacts and have had two more stories packaged and aired. I'm sending out tweets almost daily looking for specific individuals to interview for stories the reporters are turning.
I then used Twitter advanced search so I could find all Tweeps in Denver and surrounding areas. I followed everyone I could. People were following me back and suggesting me for others to follow. People were retweeting my tweets to share breaking news, strange news and even my general comments.
People know that I am a real person doing my job just like they do their own jobs. I've gained their trust. Now they contact me with story ideas or possible breaking news situations in their neighborhoods. They share their opinions with me and we have conversations about news coverage.
What I am doing on Twitter is being noticed by several people. I've been thanked for providing another news service. Just today I was sought out by a Twitter API partner, Wikimetro, to join this social media site. (What's way odd is that I directly emailed at work. My work email is not associated at all with my Twitter account. So I was really sought out for someone to research to find my work email.)
It is truly and simply amazing.
This week @cbs4denver started tweeting during the editorial meetings to share the news process and to encourage feedback and story ideas. The responses and interactions have been encouraging and are growing. During these meetings @cbs4denver is no longer just a headline service.
People are noticing what we are doing. They appreciate participating. I feel there is now more transparency in what I and the rest of us do in this newsroom. This is a great feeling. As a journalist I feel better about what I do than I ever have in the past.
In the past two weeks I have had daily conversations with coworkers on how to use Twitter. Coworkers are starting to set up their own personal Twitter accounts as well as contribute to @cbs4news.
Today I believe it was said that I have dual Twitter identities. This is absolutely correct. When I contribute to @cbs4denver I share headlines and seek out input on stories in a professional manner. As @msmistyj I am more open and use Twitter lingo and converse freely. I still don't give away any of the station's news integrity and whenever possible I lead Tweeps to @cbs4denver, www.cbs4denver.com and/or the CBS4 News Facebook Fan Page.
I close out my Twitter convo almost every night with: Scanners are calm. My news night has ended but @cbs4denver is always on! Become a fan of CBS4 News on Facebook http://moourl.com/a10y2
Tweeps have told me they are now converting too or have converted to Channel 4 viewers because of what I share on Twitter. I know for sure one follower even joined the Facebook Fan Page because of me. (She sent me a Tweet telling me so!)
Twitter has made me a better assignment editor. Since I want to tweet to keep the conversations going, to keep me relevant to my followers, I'm listening more closely to the scanners than ever before!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Future of news/media & how Twitter is moving me there
I started this blog over a week ago and every time I sit down to write it, I can't seem to get out what I want to say. This block has left me feeling like there's nothing else I can blog about until I get this out. So please, if ramble and take tangents, remember it's my way of trying to connect the dots. I'd love your feedback and ideas.
I agree Lacey, it's been too long since I blogged.
Last week was a horrible week for journalism in Denver. The Rocky Mountain News closed. There were lay offs at two stations in Denver, including my station. Stories came out daily of more newspapers going under and more lay offs at other media outlets, including some smaller market networks combining newsrooms. Friends all around me kept asking, "Am I next?" They started asking, "What else can I do to be more valuable in the newsroom?"
At the same time I'm being asked by non-media friends if it's all part of the recession or if media is changing. The answer is both.
I think the recession is just forcing the future of the media faster than most were expecting it. It's unfortunate the lay off and closed doors finally made it clear that news is not what we were taught in college; and it doesn't seem that the college interns I've worked with are being taught any differently.
I'm not talking about keeping up with new technology like HD cameras. I'm talking about how is news going to received in the future? It's a question I have a few ideas on and would like your opinions.
Saturday Shawn and I chatted with our friend Christy about all that had happened in Denver media that week. She's always been honest with us, she, her husband and 11-yr old son, rarely watch the news. If the news is on at their house it's usually for the weather only. She gets her news online. She receives the Sunday Post for the ads only. Her husband gets his news on talk radio and some magazines. Her son gets news from his teacher, classmates and from what his parents tell him.
Television news is no longer where you sit down as a family after or during dinner. It may not even be what you watch as you wrap up your night. Newspapers aren't being read at the breakfast table.
In this conversation Shawn said he gets more news on his google front page than he does all day, and he works in a newsroom. His google page is filled with links to all the stations in Denver and his other favorite websites that range from movie critiques to roller coasters.
Our friend said she doesn't even have that because all the news she wants she gets from her friends, coworkers and neighborhood. Shawn then said he believes news will become so micro that it would be like he started a news website for a radius around our house and others would be doing the same and all would be linked together. His thought is that he could get advertising that way because all the businesses in his radius would want to advertise to the community it directly serves. (Think Chinese restaurants that will only deliver in a 10-mile radius.)
We continued to talk about how print has struggled to stay relevant since television, and that now it seems television has to stay relevant to printed word - online.
Everywhere I turn these days there's a conversation about social media. I wasn't familiar with this term until a few months ago when the station started a Twitter. Since then a Twitter team has been put together at the station. I wasn't asked to be a part of this team and just hearing about Twitter confused the daylight out of me. So, I started my own twitter, @msmistyj, to figure it out on my own.
A light literally went on & the world sang!
Yes, Twitter alone does that, but the overall slap in the face that I felt as I began to understand and see clear paths to the future was what really did it for me.
Twitter and other social media can be made in whatever mold you want. You use it to serve your purposes.
My purpose on Twitter is to share my assignment editing life. I tweet out what I hear on the scanners. I tweet what news crews are doing. I tweet about crazy calls I get. In return I have people following me and sharing with me. I have made friends. I have made contacts for news stories. I have people sharing breaking news with me only through Twitter. I have people sharing their story ideas with me.
By the end of the first week on Twitter I had my first story set up and aired that was found only through Twitter. http://tinyurl.com/bl732w
For me Twitter is a connection to the viewing population in the metro area. I follow almost everyone I can find that lives in Colorado, specifically Denver and the front range. If I don't follow someone back, it's usually because they don't live anywhere near Colorado.
I share some of my personal life to assure people that I am a real human and not just headlines and a mouthpiece only promoting the station. A tweet about my shrinking center cut bacon was made fun of by coworkers, but lead me to a great conversation with a man in Denver who asked me about doing a story on paying the same & more for less. I was able to Tweet a link to a story that CBS News did on just that phenomenon. Then I was able to discuss stories that CBS4 News is doing to help Beat the Recession.
So as I use Twitter I see how the future of news really can be in 140 characters, and yet, also be so much more as television, radio and newspaper moves as well.
I believe newsrooms in all media outlets will only continue to get smaller. It will be like our first jobs out of college where you did everything in all areas of the station. Shawn survived his lay off and hopes we both survive as the future of news changes and moves. He believes being as versatile as possible is one way to survive. (I posted a blog with an article on Shawn for you to read more of his insight.)
I agree with him. This tone was an undercurrent during a recent staff meeting at the station. We were encouraged to find other areas we're interested in that we can learn and contribute.
So I obviously don't have a magic 8 ball (though I want one desperately) but I do see the future of news/media is changing. It's changing faster than you think. Soon the only generations left will be digital and connected.
So please if you've made it thru this blog, please share your thoughts and what you may be doing now to stay versatile and relevant.
I agree Lacey, it's been too long since I blogged.
Last week was a horrible week for journalism in Denver. The Rocky Mountain News closed. There were lay offs at two stations in Denver, including my station. Stories came out daily of more newspapers going under and more lay offs at other media outlets, including some smaller market networks combining newsrooms. Friends all around me kept asking, "Am I next?" They started asking, "What else can I do to be more valuable in the newsroom?"
At the same time I'm being asked by non-media friends if it's all part of the recession or if media is changing. The answer is both.
I think the recession is just forcing the future of the media faster than most were expecting it. It's unfortunate the lay off and closed doors finally made it clear that news is not what we were taught in college; and it doesn't seem that the college interns I've worked with are being taught any differently.
I'm not talking about keeping up with new technology like HD cameras. I'm talking about how is news going to received in the future? It's a question I have a few ideas on and would like your opinions.
Saturday Shawn and I chatted with our friend Christy about all that had happened in Denver media that week. She's always been honest with us, she, her husband and 11-yr old son, rarely watch the news. If the news is on at their house it's usually for the weather only. She gets her news online. She receives the Sunday Post for the ads only. Her husband gets his news on talk radio and some magazines. Her son gets news from his teacher, classmates and from what his parents tell him.
Television news is no longer where you sit down as a family after or during dinner. It may not even be what you watch as you wrap up your night. Newspapers aren't being read at the breakfast table.
In this conversation Shawn said he gets more news on his google front page than he does all day, and he works in a newsroom. His google page is filled with links to all the stations in Denver and his other favorite websites that range from movie critiques to roller coasters.
Our friend said she doesn't even have that because all the news she wants she gets from her friends, coworkers and neighborhood. Shawn then said he believes news will become so micro that it would be like he started a news website for a radius around our house and others would be doing the same and all would be linked together. His thought is that he could get advertising that way because all the businesses in his radius would want to advertise to the community it directly serves. (Think Chinese restaurants that will only deliver in a 10-mile radius.)
We continued to talk about how print has struggled to stay relevant since television, and that now it seems television has to stay relevant to printed word - online.
Everywhere I turn these days there's a conversation about social media. I wasn't familiar with this term until a few months ago when the station started a Twitter. Since then a Twitter team has been put together at the station. I wasn't asked to be a part of this team and just hearing about Twitter confused the daylight out of me. So, I started my own twitter, @msmistyj, to figure it out on my own.
A light literally went on & the world sang!
Yes, Twitter alone does that, but the overall slap in the face that I felt as I began to understand and see clear paths to the future was what really did it for me.
Twitter and other social media can be made in whatever mold you want. You use it to serve your purposes.
My purpose on Twitter is to share my assignment editing life. I tweet out what I hear on the scanners. I tweet what news crews are doing. I tweet about crazy calls I get. In return I have people following me and sharing with me. I have made friends. I have made contacts for news stories. I have people sharing breaking news with me only through Twitter. I have people sharing their story ideas with me.
By the end of the first week on Twitter I had my first story set up and aired that was found only through Twitter. http://tinyurl.com/bl732w
For me Twitter is a connection to the viewing population in the metro area. I follow almost everyone I can find that lives in Colorado, specifically Denver and the front range. If I don't follow someone back, it's usually because they don't live anywhere near Colorado.
I share some of my personal life to assure people that I am a real human and not just headlines and a mouthpiece only promoting the station. A tweet about my shrinking center cut bacon was made fun of by coworkers, but lead me to a great conversation with a man in Denver who asked me about doing a story on paying the same & more for less. I was able to Tweet a link to a story that CBS News did on just that phenomenon. Then I was able to discuss stories that CBS4 News is doing to help Beat the Recession.
So as I use Twitter I see how the future of news really can be in 140 characters, and yet, also be so much more as television, radio and newspaper moves as well.
I believe newsrooms in all media outlets will only continue to get smaller. It will be like our first jobs out of college where you did everything in all areas of the station. Shawn survived his lay off and hopes we both survive as the future of news changes and moves. He believes being as versatile as possible is one way to survive. (I posted a blog with an article on Shawn for you to read more of his insight.)
I agree with him. This tone was an undercurrent during a recent staff meeting at the station. We were encouraged to find other areas we're interested in that we can learn and contribute.
So I obviously don't have a magic 8 ball (though I want one desperately) but I do see the future of news/media is changing. It's changing faster than you think. Soon the only generations left will be digital and connected.
So please if you've made it thru this blog, please share your thoughts and what you may be doing now to stay versatile and relevant.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
