The latest iteration of the introduction to social media that I do before jumping into skills training on specific platforms. I've tried a lot of different variations, but I've found that emphasizing social media's use for sourcing information is not only a revelation for most people (who tend to think of what they should put out on social media rather than what they can take it), but also gets at the heart of how it can enhance their work.

1. Social media is your new bicycle An introduction to what social media is for, and how it fits into your workflow

2. “ A rolodex that expands itself” “ Word of mouth on crack” “ A replacement for a clipping service” “ A layer that sits over the rest of the internet, surfacing the best stuff” “ An ecosystem built on information-sharing networks” Social media is … (to paraphrase your colleagues)

3. A tool for creating great content, loyal audience, and a solid reputation

4. 1. Research/Reporting 2. Engagement 3. Publishing Three tasks…

6. Daughter of Prominent Bahraini Activist Challenges Obama http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Daughter-of-Prominent-Bahraini-Activist-Challenges-Obama-119709944.html Interview for radio and web with the daughter of an arrested Bahraini activist, found and contacted on Twitter Ex) Monitoring social media leads us to a good story, and the source who can tell it

7. Live coverage of the earthquake in Japan http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Major-Earthquake-Tsunami-Hit-Japan-117785138.html Audio interview with a Japanese woman in Tokyo, contacted through Facebook First-hand accounts, found on social news site “Reddit” Informative video from NOAA, found on Twitter Ex) Tracking social media unearths important components for a breaking story

9. Ex) Answering questions builds connections, and helps correct misinformation Cecily Hilleary on Twitter http://twitter.com/voahilleary

10. Your Questions: Kenya ’s Campaign Against Al-Shabab http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Your-Questions-Kenyas-Campaign-Against-al-Shabab-133487408.html Ex) A live Q&A helps us report on what our audience wants to know Live web Q&A about Kenya ’s pursuit of al-Shabab in Somalia, plus pre-recorded video segment for TV

12. Steve Herman on Twitter http://twitter.com/W7VOA Ex) Tweeting information means news gets out as soon as it is confirmed

13. 1. Research/Reporting 2. Engagement 3. Publishing Each activity supports and reinforces the others. They work better together than in isolation.

14. Why is promotion not included? Yes, we want to drive traffic to our content, but promotion without the other elements doesn ’t work. People don’t respond when they don’t feel a genuine connection. If the other two elements are done right, promotion will often take care of itself. Your network will start promoting your work for you. 4. Promotion

15. But there is a secret 4 th benefit… 4. ?

16. 4. Inspiration Discover new ways to tell stories, find models to emulate http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Photo-Essay-Volunteers-Share-50-Years-of-Peace-Corps-Memories-117524744.html http://www.storiography.com/english-dreams/ http://howbigreally.com http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/video/2011/nov/16/99-v-1-occupy-data-animation www.rferl.org/archive/Project_Hijab/latest/3248/3248.html

17. Why haven’t I mentioned any specific sites yet?

18. Social media is a HUGE ecosystem Twitter YouTube Facebook Flickr Google + Tumblr Blogger Wordpress Reddit Wikia Quora Forums

19. We train on Twitter because, RIGHT NOW, it is the great aggregator. It’s where news happens, and it will lead you to the other places where things are happening. “ It’s like a gateway.” But here are some examples of why you might turn to another site: Facebook Poll VOA’s audience for feedback, answer audience comments, do a live Q&A Google + Try out social ideas with an engaged audience of early adopters Pinterest Save clippings online so you can access them and share with others Blogger, Wordpress Search 1,000s of personal blogs all at once Instagram Share pictures in an interesting way Reddit Check out memes and see what’s going viral Meetup Find real-life communities around skills you need or things you like Quora Ask and answer questions about topics you’re knowledgeable on Forums Find conversations on specialist topics, find sources Flickr Find Creative Commons photos to illustrate an article or make a photo essay

20. So how could you fit social media into your workflow right now?

21. Morning Media Diet Add niche blogs, Twitter to your current morning routine. You might even find you can drop some newspapers or websites as a result. Story Planning Think about the online conversation happening around a topic. What do people want to know? What are they talking about? What could you add that’s unique or innovative. What will people respond to? Example: http://174.37.47.227/~converge/wordpress/?p=813 Following Breaking News Follow a few breaking news Twitter accounts, and the next time news is breaking, keep tabs on it from there. See if you can find information, resources and angles you wouldn’t get from the wires.