An editor's role in social media

Social Media:The Editor’s Role

Steve ButtryLas Cruces Sun-News

November 2013#editsocial

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You’re a journo, not a carrier

Editors’ roles1. Post content2. Engage

community3. Curate

conversation4. Start & monitor

liveblogs5. Use lists

6. Listen 7. Guide hashtag

use8. Expectations9. Uphold

standards10. Coach staff


community3. Curate






CT Twitter study:• Newsroom accounts mostly heads & links• @5thDistrictCT conversational (links to

competition, RTs, replies, great info)• @5thDistrictCT = 2x to 10x more referrals

per Twitter follower

Tips for being conversational:• Monitor @ mentions & reply (answer

questions, thank for links, address critics)• Make link posts conversational• RT competition, community bloggers• Ask questions


community3. Curate






Why converse w/ no link?• Question invites conversation• Engagement w/ question boosts

views/engagement on subsequent links• Builds brand, gain followers• Do you enjoy conversation w/ people

always calling attention to themselves?

engagement


community3. Curate






What is curation?Museum curator:• Studies topic• Chooses relevant

content (other sources & museum collection)

• Authenticates• Groups related items• Provides context• Presents exhibit

Journalism curator:• Studies topic• Chooses relevant

content (social media, blogs, staff)

• Authenticates• Groups related items• Provides context• Presents collected

content

NPR’s Andy Carvin

“I think curation has always been a part of journalism; we just didn't call it that.” – quoted in The Atlantic by Phoebe Connelly

CurationSituations• Reaction story• Public event• Second screen• Breaking story

Tools• Storify• Spundge• Geofeedia• RebelMouse


community3. Curate






Livetweeting situations• Trials• Meetings• Sporting events (staff and/or public tweets:

Friday Night Tweets)• Festivals• Breaking storiesRemember to feed site (ScribbleLive, etc.)

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


community3. Curate






Lists• Organize beat by lists• Lists save time• TweetDeck, HootSuite• Create list for story (who’s tweeting

about it?)• Embed list in story or blog post


community3. Curate






Listen• Follow officials, activists on beat• Searches, alerts for people & keywords

on beat• Save location searches for breaking-news

terms (fire, emergency, siren)• Save local searches• Join conversation

People to follow

• Look for sources (find people)• Ask sources• Journalists in other communities• When someone follows you, check out to

see whether you should follow back• When you follow someone, check whom

they follow• Tweeps mentioned in interesting tweets


community3. Curate






#Hashtags• Regular hashtags: #lascruces• Event hashtags• Breaking news• Cause hashtags• Humorous

Why use #hashtags?• Reach wider audience• Help readers see related tweets• Help feed content into liveblogs

#Hashtag tips• Use existing hashtag if there is one• Search before launching hashtag (avoid

duplication)• Look for secondary hashtags, especially

in events or breaking news• Hashtags help find witnesses & other

sources

#notjustonTwitter• Effective on Instagram & Tout, too• Work on Facebook, but have not caught

on yet


community3. Curate







community3. Curate






Vetting & verifying• Track back RTs, etc.

to source • Look for clusters • Location enabled? • Evaluate the network• Evaluate the history

• Links, photos? • Take it old school• Disclose, hedge,

repeat • Be brave only in

correction

Tips from Craig Silverman, Regret the Error

Evaluating tweeps• How long have they been tweeting?• Check previous tweets, interaction• Check bio, links• Check Klout score• Google name and scam, spammer• Contact & interview

Tips from Mandy Jenkins, Zombie Journalism


community3. Curate






Social search• Twitter advanced search• Facebook graph search • Search for keywords, hashtags, users• Search by location (but most tweets

aren’t geotagged)• Use Geofeedia (more than just tweets)• Big news? Search: Holy shit, WTF

Tips for finding tweets• Search (Twitter advanced, Google, Topsy,

twXplorer) for keywords, location• Check followers & timelines (replies, RTs)• Expand tweets to see conversation• Check profiles• Follow; DM or tweet asking for interview• Make screen grabs (they might delete)

Searching tips• Search for people suddenly in the news• Great for searching for sources, groups• Tougher to search posts (many are private)• Messages will go into “other” box; better to

post on wall or seek mutual friends

• Excellent search engine• Search for keywords on résumés• Search by employer (& former

employer) • Mutual contacts can introduce

• Foursquare “mayor” may be employee or loyal customer of biz or venue

• Who has “checked in” at event, scene• Check Reddit for discussion of your

topic (for tips, don’t assume info is verified)

Social media = journo tool• Monitored competition• Found neighbour who tweeted at TV

station• Checked neighbour’s Facebook page• Found post w/ neighbour’s email• Reporter tracked down neighbour, got

story & more photos

Photo curationPhoto sites: Instagram, Flickr, Pinterest, Picasa (don’t forget Facebook, Twitter)Finding photos: Search, Geofeedia, hashtags, ask community to submitCuration tools: Geofeedia, Storify, Spundge, Olapic, embed codesMake contact & ask for more!

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An editor's role in social media

Technology