Digital-first journalists view storytelling as a continuous process and prioritize community collaboration, timely engagement, and the use of social media to enhance their work. They embrace an experimental culture that values accuracy, transparency, and adaptability, actively seeking out new tools and techniques for better journalism. Key practices include live coverage, community interaction, and monitoring various social media platforms for breaking news and relevant information.

1. Digital First Journos:
How we think and work
Steve Buttry
Excellence in Journalism
August 25, 2013
#eij13

2. Read more about it
• stevebuttry.wordpress.com
• slideshare.net/stevebuttry
• @stevebuttry
• stephenbuttry@gmail.com

3. Digital-first journos think …
1. Story is a process, not a product
2. Like to be first, but link when we’re not
3. Community = collaborators
4. When we hear great quote or learn
interesting fact, think, “I better tweet
that.”
5. More excited by RTs, likes, shares, pins
& links than by front-page or lead play

4. Digital-first journalists …
6. Obstacles = war stories, not excuses
7. New gadget or social platform = tool
for better journalism
8. When news breaks, thinks of terms to
search for on Twitter
9. Journalism future is bright & boundless
10. Defies prediction (& lists), thinks of
new ideas, issues & solutions

5. Digital-first culture
• Experimental
• Willing to risk and learn from failure
• Accountable (correct & acknowledge
errors)
• Always on the learning curve
• Seeking & trying new tools & techniques

6. • Accuracy
• Truth
• Attribution
• Transparency
• Identification
• Fairness
• Community
• Watchdog role
• First Amendment
• Timeliness &
reflection
• Civility & respect
• Diversity
• Skepticism
Digital-first values

7. Working Digital First
• Create content for digital platforms (web,
email, SMS, social, mobile)
• Produce print & broadcast products from
content on digital platforms
• Live coverage of events
• Breaking news coverage
• Engage community

8. Beat reporter
• Beatblog
• Liveblog meetings, events
• Tweet/alert/liveblog breaking news
• Live chat on continuing stories
• Data visualization
• Curate community conversation
• Show your work (links, including
competition)

9. Beat reporter questions
• How to crowdsource story?
• What terms, hashtags should you search
(routinely & for each story)?
• Regular/special hashtags to use?
• People to follow? New FB pages/groups?
• Other social media to search (YouTube,
Flickr, Foursquare, Google+ …)?

10. Gathering news on the beat
• Video
• Links
• Databases
• Monitor officials, agencies, sources on
Twitter, Facebook, G+, YouTube, etc.
• Source documents to upload
• Map, timeline

11. Newsroom leaders
• Monitor social media as well as wires,
scanners, etc.
• Staff questions guide digital journalism
(data, Twitter search, hashtags,
crowdsourcing)
• Urgency for breaking news, live coverage
• Edit digital content for print

12. Newsroom leaders
• Listen, join & lead community
conversation (blog, social media, chats)
• Lead staff in trying new tools &
techniques
• Digital focus to daily meetings
• Post daily news budgets online

13. Read more about it
• stevebuttry.wordpress.com
• slideshare.net/stevebuttry
• @stevebuttry
• stephenbuttry@gmail.com