Twitter for Journalists

                                          Ultimately twitter is just another tool that should be used to influence minds in a way 

                                          that better the lives of those you target to influence. Photograph copyright: Ctrl Minds

Twitter is a very handy tool for journalist, here's the low down on the what to's and what not's on using twitter. All the honor to Me. Williem Marais from the University of the Free State, South Africa, whom compiled the slideshow from which the following text is derived from.

Twitter is useful for keeping tabs on the pulse of the community, for discovering news sources, for breaking news in an exciting multi-media manner and for alerting communities on natural or unnatural disasters that might affect them. 

What is Twitter?

Twitter is a real-time social network that focuses on specific interests shared among users. It's seen as a micro-blog where users can post photographs, videos and 140 characters at the most. 

You can organize your stream by following or viewing other users, by searching hash tags or by using lists to view specific feeds. You can add a twitter application or mention a hash tag or twitter user to enrich blogs and article content.

The difference between using Twitter vs. using Facebook

Twitter audiences are interested in interest, and the users that discuss them, whilst Facebook users are concerned with their sociality: friends and their friends' interests. The twitter community is a fully public social media platform whilst Facebook is each user's private territory to dictate. Consequently Twitter has a wider search basis available whilst Facebook has more users.

The "retweet" function has a amplifier function aiding the fast spread of information and news. The Facebook "share" function allows one to monitor the credibility of the source - among friends, but spreads slower. Facebook allow much more detail to be communicated, but Twitter is advantageous by being as immediate as radio and being a fast way to get links into Google and other search engines.

The credibility of Twitter

Always question the validity of Twitter sources, because of Twitters anonymity factor. You must identify and affiliate yourself when using Twitter in work-related ways (create a professional account apart from your personal Twitter account). Follow newsroom codes of conduct if there is one. These codes usually stop journalists from giving away scoop and push journalists to validate confidential sources.

The people you follow dictates Twitters appeal

Spend time finding at least 100 interesting people to follow by searching keywords and evaluating streams. Following uninteresting people will clutter your feed with noise. Carefully monitor your stream - use your journalistic judgment to evaluate information.

 The advantageous functions of Twitter for journos

140 Character limitation

The 140 characters encourages one to practice the writing of headings and sells

Retweets

Retweeting is a powerful "news amplification" tool, because you republish an existing tweet. 

Hash tags

A hash tag is a word or clause that starts with a # sign, embedded in a tweet, that categorizes a tweet. When you search a hash tag, twitters displays all (not just the users you follow) search results with the same hash tag. Hash tags provide a way for users to discuss one topic in the same area. It provides a way for readers to discover larger circle of users. Consequently it is wise to categorize every tweet with a hash tag. Hash tags can be saved for quick searches for beats journalist regularly report on.

One should discover, or create if needed, a hash tag for public events and use it in relevant posts. Hash tags should be specific and short. Always search a hash tag before "creating" one, an existing hash tag might clutter the feed.

Lists

Create lists to prevent chaos: add expert on your beat to lists. You can use lists when you don't have time to wade through the general stream.

Reporting on Twitter

·         Twitter is a great place to discover both international or hyperlocal breaking news or to break news with sells and heading - yet always validate your source of information on Twitter.

·         You are a part of a larger community. You mustn’t just post headlines and sells; you should engage with your readership (followers). Retweet tweets from within your community that are relevant to your community.

·         Use twitter for crowdsourcing: ask readers for leads on stories, ask them their preferences on stories they'd like to read and post questions to possibly generate material.

·         Publish posts on your stories in progress as soon as you have accurate and factual information. Inform your readers when en where they can soon find the full coverage.

·         Keep professional standards of grammar.

·         Post and read your stream several times a day. Pay special attention to your lists and saved searches.

·         Ask people you meet if they're on Twitter to broaden your following.

·         Add your Twitter handle (your user name starting with a @ sign) to your business card and email signature.

Twitter don'ts in journalism

·         Just posting headlines

·         Talking down to people (be a member of a community)

·         Overdoing hash tags

·         Flooding reader's streams with too many posts at a time

·         Focusing only on you