This document provides tips for using Instagram as a reporting tool for journalists and radio producers. It recommends posting photos on Instagram to build interest in upcoming stories, and using hashtags and captions to engage audiences. Sharing Instagram posts on other social media can increase followers, and getting mentions from influential accounts provides a boost. Close-up, surprising photos that take viewers somewhere new work well. Consistent theme-based posting and responding to comments further engages audiences.

1. Using
As a Reporting Tool
Tips from Sonia Narang, PRI’s The World

2. Portraits of interview subjects

3. From Marco’s feed, a nice portrait

4. Commenting

5. Building interest in the story before it airs

6. Sharing Instagram photos on FB/Twitter

7. Comments on Facebook

8. Instagram photos can spark conversations
on Twitter

10. Consistently post around a theme, such as #firstdays, the stories of immigrants in the U.S.
You don’t have to travel far.

11. So, what makes a good photo?
Element of surprise, close-up,
taking an audience where they’ve never been
Credit: @grantslater/KPCC Radio

12. Be creative, capture colors
Credit: @allisonshelley in Lagos

13. Close-ups work well on an iPhone screen

14. Try taking a bunch of photos from a
few different angles.
I picked this image
out of the
25-30 photos
I took of this
new mother
with her baby.

15. Captions are important:
You can be funny or descriptive, try
something new.
Credit: @emamd/LA Times

16. Hashtags
Put these after the
caption:
#city
#country
#topic
#keywords
#pritheworld
#blackandwhite
Include @pritheworld
in the captionCredit: @michaelchristopherbrown
#libya #libyanrevolution

17. Get Tory to Tweet about your
Instagram account on @pritheworld
Or, Jeb to her very well-connected
Twitter following!
If Marco likes your feed, he’ll do a shout-out on
air. The next time you log into your account,
you’ll have 100’s of new followers.

18. Note to producers:
When the show brings
Instagram
comments on-air, it
gives people more
of an incentive to
comment on our stuff.
That also means you
could have dozens of
comments to respond
to. And, respond
you must.

19. Follow good photographers,
see what they like

20. Next Steps
• Get your very own Instagram account. If you
really don’t want to join Instagram, at least
visit http://instagram.com and check out what
cool photographers are doing. I’ll send a list.
• Try searching for hashtags with favorite cities
to see what’s out there. One fun hashtag:
#16x9fordays. Check it out!
• Post a photo with a caption. Try to take a
close-up of something artistic or a portrait of
someone you meet. You too can win the bear.