This document outlines ways that journalists can use Twitter to improve their reporting and engagement with the community. It provides tips for using Twitter for breaking news, crowdsourcing, live-tweeting events, connecting with sources on beats, and more. The document encourages journalists to get started with Twitter by following local community members and sources, tweeting about their work, and searching local tweets on newsy topics.

1. improves
your journalism
Steve Buttry
Webinar for Digital First Media
December 7, 2011

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

3. Use with other social tools

4. “We used all social media at our disposal
to engage the public –
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, our
websites, email, you name it.”
-- Steve Hunt, San Gabriel Valley Tribune

7. • Many more users • Great for breaking
• Much info private news
• Tougher to search • Great real-time
• Not as immediate search
(less frequent • Engagement not as
updates) intrusive
• Engage, don’t • Hashtags help w/
intrude search, conversation

8. Ways to use Twitter
• Breaking news
• Community conversation
• Twitter Search (advanced)
• Hashtags (regular & spontaneous)
• Live-tweeting events
• Crowdsourcing
• Content for web & print

17. Bookmark this page
https://twitter.com/#!/search-advanced

18. Vetting tweeps, verifying info
• Check full Twitter stream, profile
• Connect on phone, in person
• Check location (not 100% reliable)
• Others verifying? Clusters, not echos
• Photos?
• Other sources, other tweeps
• Ask, “How do you know that?”

19. More on verification
Craig Silverman tips:
http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/eight_sim
ple_rules_for_doing_a.php
Mandy Jenkins tips:
http://zombiejournalism.com/2011/09/b-s-
detection-for-journalists/

20. Say what you don’t know

23. Why use hashtags?
• Find other sources
• Expand your audience
• Organize content (for feeds & contacting)
• Follow the discussion

24. Hashtag tips
• Use re-usable hashtags (#okstorm)
• Search for hashtag(s) already in use
• If a hashtag is already in use, adopt it
• If not, choose one that’s simple & unique
• Geographic abbreviation helps (#ctirene)
• Geographic better than branded
(#copreps better than #dppreps)

25. Routine beat coverage
• Follow officials & agencies on beat
• Conversation w/ community
• Hashtags (regular & spontaneous)
• Lists (Twitter, TweetDeck, HootSuite)
• Breaking news
• Crowdsourcing
• Live-tweet or liveblog (can feed in
tweets)

26. Connecting w/ community
• Use Advanced Twitter Search to find &
check local tweeps
• Search terms & location to find people
tweeting about your beat
• Check followers of newsroom account
• See who tweeps are conversing with
• Who follows agencies, people on beat?

27. Crowdsource

28. Crowdsource

29. Crowdsource

32. Live-tweeting prep
• Get names (confirm spelling), titles in
advance (ask, get program, etc.)
• Set scene, saying what you’re covering &
that you’re live-tweeting
• Describe your circumstances, vantage
point: at event, watching on TV, curating
tweets (Andy Carvin)

33. Live-tweeting tips
• Don’t transcribe; observe & report
• In sports, mix play-by-play & commentary
• Use hashtag (& check to respond)
• OK to pause for checking facts, names
• Note significant pause (halftime, lunch)
• Fun interludes, exchanges, anecdotes
• Check facts before you hit “tweet”

34. Live-tweeting situations
• Trials
• Meetings
• Sporting events (curate w/ public tweets:
Friday Night Tweets)
• Festivals
• Breaking stories
• Remember to feed live-tweets into site

36. Twitter helps your site
Content: Traffic:
• Feed liveblog • Your tweets
(CoverItLive, Scribble • Retweets
Live) • Reach audience not
• Widgets visiting site
• Curate social media
(Storify, Storyful)
• Stories

37. Time management
• Saves time in breaking news &
crowdsourcing
• Mobile apps let you tweet & read on the
go
• 140 characters doesn’t take long to write
or read
• TweetDeck, HootSuite, lists, search

38. Twitter basics
• Use real name in profile, even if you can’t
for username
• Upload photo or logo (not default egg)
• ID yourself as journo & name your org
• Add mobile info in settings
• Check your mentions; reply when
appropriate

39. Right now
• Find 5 people in your community or on
your beat to follow
• Tweet 3 times this afternoon about what
you’re covering, reading, doing, etc.
• Retweet someone
• Update profile (if needed)
• Search local tweets on a newsy keyword

40. Read more about it
• stevebuttry.wordpress.com
• slideshare.net/stevebuttry
• @stevebuttry
• zombiejournalism.com