And that's really the key: Twitter is only a tool, a means to the end of doing great reporting, no different really than a laptop, a word processor or even a notepad. There is no reason to be "on Twitter" for its own sake. But this social platform can absolutely become a valuable tool to add to the reporter's toolkit, if used purposefully.
Twitter for Journalists: Why?
1. Discover Breaking News
Hours before CNN was clued in, Twitter was lit up with reports of the terror attack in Myanmar. Associated Press has gone from first to last as the source for breaking news. In an era where anyone can commit an 'act of journalism', whoever is at the scene (usually NOT a journalist) can now be the first to report. Twitter is now the dominant platform to break, and discover, breaking news stories.
2. Track / Report a Developing Story
During live unfolding events, the 'crowd-sourcing' power of Twitter makes it unparalleled as a tool for tracking a developing story as it happens, in real time. Use SEARCH or the story topic hashtag (#), for example #opdx became the most-used way to 'tag' tweets about Occupy Portland.Twitter can also be a highly effective real-time reporting platform during developing news when other options aren't available (tweeting from a court proceeding, or a press conference or news story where no live signal is available).
3. Take the Pulse on a Story
Using Search or a topical hashtag to follow Tweets on a story topic gives reporters and producers a real-time view of what people are saying about an ongoing news story. #occupyportland went through a dramatic shift in 'Twitter temperature', with great interest and support expressed in the first days when 5,000 diverse residents marched through town; to an overarching frustration over the seeming squatting in city parks by hangers-on who didn't seem to be articulating a consistent message. The Twitter conversation shifted from calling for corporate accountability, to calling on the Mayor to end 'public camping' and address the crime and park damage issues related to #opdx.
4. Discover Story Ideas
Reporters, especially those with beats like environment, crime, health, etc. can discover story ideas before they make it to 'press release' phase by building up a relevant list of news-makers that they follow. Twitter "Lists" are an effective way to sort who a reporter follows by interest or expertise, eliminating the clutter and chatter of the main Twitter stream and instead offering at-a-glance view of what the influencers are saying.
More: How to make "Lists" in Twitter
5. See What's Trending
Twitter offers a localizable "trending topics" metric that displays in real time what the most 'tweeted' topics are. In your profile you set the area you want to track, e.g. "Portland." Trendsmap.com is another great web-based tool to access trending topics, and localize it to the region you choose (local, statewide, national, by topic, etc). Here is the direct URL to track what's trending in Portland: http://trendsmap.com/local/us/portland
These trending tools are valuable to producers and assignment managers, as well as reporters, as a way to identify topics that are bubbling up...and also when interest in a topic has died down.
6. Get Feedback (Leads/Fixes) on Your Story
Using Twitter to enhance reporting is more about LISTENING than talking - often the hardest habit to change for print and television journalists accustomed to telling the news to the audience, and expecting them to only listen. But reporters who also LISTEN by using the "Mentions" feature in Twitter can reap multiple benefits, including what people are saying about the story, corrections to errors in the story, ideas for other sources (personal stories, experts) and follow-up story angles.
7. Engage and Connect with the Audience
For legacy journalists, the most potent long-term opportunity offered by social platforms like Twitter is the chance to connect and engage with their audience. Again, listening and engaging/responding is the key. When people message or @-mention a reporter, respond! Use Twitter to humanize the news, pull back the curtain and share the view from behind the scenes, Tweet a pic from the scene of the story, allow yourself to share some of your personality. The bottom line: News is now a conversation, not a lecture - and Twitter is a great way to engage (listening as well as talking) with your audience.
And a few things NOT to do on Twitter:
NO: Shameless self-promotion
- "I have a great story coming up tonight, be sure to tune in later!"
- "Working on an exclusive story right now, check me out tonight at 11!"
Twitter is a content platform. The users are pretty sophisticated and don't take kindly to the old TV promotional approach of teasing the cute video throughout the newscast and showing it at 5:29!
Follow the 80-20 rule: 80 percent of the time, your posts should have standalone content, delivering value NOW. Keep those self-promotional messages to no more than 20 percent of your tweets, ESPECIALLY when you first begin to use the platform.
NO: Tweeting scanner chatter / unconfirmed news reports
You certainly should NEVER Tweet "news" unless you have confirmed it in the same way that you would confirm it for other platforms. Fortunately, since we are all human and mistakes happen, if you do make a mistake in Twitter, admitting so (on Twitter) quickly and honestly generally is accepted and even appreciated.
NO: Personal Opinions on News Stories - Be Professional
Do remember you are still a reporter, so personal opinions on stories you might cover can call into question your impartiality; and, if you wouldn't want your mom or your boss or the competition to read it...you probably shouldn't tweet it.
More on Twitter for Journalists
Poynter: 10 Ways Reporters Can Use Twitter
Poynter: What Reporters Should Consider Before "Retweeting" to Avoid "Endorsement"
Pew Center for Research: Mainstream Media using Twitter to push, not engage
Poynter Webinar: Twitter Uses for Broadcast Producers
