This document provides guidance for reporters on using Twitter as part of their professional responsibilities. It outlines expectations that all reporters will tweet regularly from a personal account, explains basic Twitter terminology and tips for beginners, reviews ethics around verifying sources and handling offensive content, and offers strategies for building a network and engaging followers through effective tweeting. Reporters are expected to use Twitter to increase their reach and interact with the community while meeting growing audience demand for news on the platform.

1. TWITTER
BASICS
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GATEHOUSE NEWS & INTERACTIVE DIVISION

2. Agenda
• Inner Circle expectations
• What is Twitter?
• Your Twitter identity
• Twitter terms
• Five tips for beginners
• Ethics overview
• Content, tone, when to tweet
• How to build a network

3. Inner Circle expectations
For Inner Circle 2013, all reporters must tweet
from their own professional account
• News consumers are increasingly
turning to Twitter for headlines,
updates and interaction
• Reporters should tweet at least
twice each day and multiple times
during breaking news coverage
GOAL Increase reach, community interaction and
potentially find stories and sources via Twitter

4. Inner Circle expectations
These expectations are based on
recommendations from editors.
As Twitter gains relevancy among
news consumers, we need to
meet the needs of our audience.
• There were 175M tweets sent each day in 2012
• 32 % of all Internet users are on Twitter
• 11 accounts are created every second
• Twitter growth is outpacing Facebook – growth rate
is predicted to be four times higher than
Facebook’s through 2014
Sources: Marketing Land, Infographic Labs, eMarketer

5. Inner Circle expectations
Why should I have a Twitter account that is
separate from the newspaper’s account?
A reporter’s Twitter account is a place for the
reporter to tweet color and background, breaking
news, and to engage with followers.
I'm an editor without a reporter. I have a
newspaper Twitter account - do I also have
to have an account in my name?
We strongly encourage editors without reporters to
set up their own professional Twitter accounts in
order to recap all the same benefits reporters
would, but it is not required for Inner Circle.

6. Inner Circle expectations
What should my Twitter handle be?
A reporter’s Twitter handle should be some
combination of the reporter’s name and the
newspaper Twitter handle.
For example, the State Journal-Register’s Twitter
handle is @SJ-R.
Reporter Molly Beck’s Twitter handle is
@MollyBeckSJR
How often should I tweet?
You should tweet at least two scheduled Twitter
posts each day, more if you are tweeting live
from a big story or breaking news event.

7. Inner Circle expectations
How can I tweet on days I’m not working?
What sort of things should I tweet then?
You can use HootSuite, a free social media
dashboard, to schedule tweets in advance for
days you are not working.
• In case you missed it
• Looking ahead
• Entertainment content
• Lifestyles content
• Weather
• Blog posts
• Callouts
• Facebook promotion

8. Inner Circle expectations
Questions?

9. What is Twitter?
• 140-character messages, sent out to followers
• Great for following and reporting breaking news
• Another tool to promote our websites
• Provides another way to reach new readers

10. Your Twitter identity
• Use your headshot or other distinct, square image
• Incorporate the name of the newspaper in your
handle
• Use your full name in your profile
• Identify yourself as a reporter, and include a link to
your website

11. Basic Twitter terms
Terms to know
• Tweet: Twitter post
• Retweet: If you like what someone has tweeted,
you retweet ( ) and give credit.
• @: This symbol precedes someone’s username -
. This calls out to the person and links
to that person.
• #: Hashtags are used to indicate searchable and
trending topics. You can create them for your town,
but first search to see if someone is already using
certain terms.
Check out Twitter’s glossary for more: http://support.twitter.com/entries/166337-the-twitter-glossary

12. Twitter tips
Try not to use all 140 characters
WHY People might want to retweet you, and add
their own comment.
HOW Don’t be an AP Style slave. Use &, don’t spell
out numbers under 10, etc.
EXAMPLES
Good: A 4-car crash on Hwy 6 is causing
major delays in #Peoria. Avoid if possible.
Bad: Its snowin like crazy. NEone have pics
to share?

13. Twitter tips
Use a URL shortener
WHY You want to maximize your ability to sell your
content, and you only have 140 characters.
HOW Use the built in shortener in HootSuite, or a
website like bitly.
EXAMPLES

14. Twitter tips
Use hashtags and retweet often
WHY Using hashtags and retweeting others will help
Twitter users find you and follow you.
HOW Search for hashtags in your community, or
create your own. Retweet local information.
EXAMPLES

15. Twitter tips
Search for topics local people are talking about
WHY You can gauge popularity of events or issues
and find people to retweet
HOW Go to search.twitter.com and use the advanced
search to narrow your location.
EXAMPLES

16. Twitter tips
Direct message to find
sources for stories
WHY You need to verify
someone’s identity and get
their permission to quote
them.
HOW If they are following
you, use Twitter’s direct
messager. If they are not
following you, use the @
symbol, and pass along
your contact information.

17. Ethics roundup
• Verifying Twitter sources
• Being transparent with sources
• Your personal Twitter account
• Halting the rumor mill
• Offensive tweets
• Offensive followers

18. Ethics roundup
On verifying sources:
“Verify information separately; interview sources
independently of the social networks.”
• Direct message the fan, ask for phone number
• Use @ to contact and request an interview
• Speak to the person, get more information
• Talk to your supervisor

19. Ethics roundup
On transparency:
“Tell contacts what you are working on, why, and how
you plan to use the information they supply.
Explain that all information is on-the-record and
for attribution.”
• Don’t just grab quotes
• Be open and honest
• Tell them they will be quoted

20. Ethics roundup
On personal use:
“You are always a journalist; what you do on your
social networking site can and does reflect on you
personally and professionally and on the
company.”
• Give it the publisher/grandma test
• If you tweet it, someone can find it
• Be mindful of who you follow, and who follows you

21. Ethics roundup
Halting the rumor mill:
Do not publish unverified information you saw on
Twitter on your website.
• “According to Twitter sources” doesn’t cut it
• Let followers know you are working on verification
• If you see misinformation, call it out

22. Ethics roundup
On offensive tweets:
If you accidentally tweet something offensive, remove
it immediately and tell your supervisor
• Deleting the tweet doesn’t mean you pretend it
never happened.
• Prepare a response. Screen shots will bite you.
• People retweeted? Contact those people, deliver
prepared response.
• Publish that response in print and online; link to it
on Twitter, if necessary.

23. Ethics roundup
Offensive tweets, cnt.
If you are the editor and have reporters tweeting for
the first time, train, train, train.
• Ask to review tweets when the reporter is just
starting out
• Provide examples – have the reporter follow other
GateHouse reporters on Twitter
• Monitor the reporter’s tweets

24. Ethics roundup
On offensive tweets:
Block offensive followers. Your professional Twitter
account is a representation of the entire
organization.
• Politicians and political groups are fine
• Extreme political, social or religious groups are not
• Use your best judgment, explain yourself

25. Twitter how to
Content: What should I be tweeting?
• Breaking news
• Live coverage of big meetings, sports events,
election night
• Quirky news: Anything that might be retweeted
• Links to your online content

26. Twitter how to
Tone
• Personality is great - when appropriate
• Remember sarcasm doesn’t always translate
• Stay objective, even when adding humor

27. Twitter how to
When to post
• The afternoon: 5 p.m. tweets get the most retweets
• Lunchtime: Twitter traffic spikes
• Mid-week and weekends: Traffic also higher
Source: Kissmetrics, data by Dan Zarrella, social media researcher at HubSpot

28. Twitter how to
How much to tweet
• Less is more
• Recommend 2-5 tweets per day

29. Twitter how to
How to gain followers
• Promote Twitter on your website
• Promote Twitter in your newspaper
• Add Twitter to email newsletters and your own
email correspondence
• Follow, follow, follow

30. Resources
• More information can be found in the 2013 Inner Circle
Handbook. Download at www.ghnewsroom.com
• Contact your content team manager:
Mike Turley Carlene Cox
mturley@ ccox@
corp.gatehousemedia.com corp.gatehousemedia.com
Sarah Corbit Brad Jennings
scorbitt@ bjennings@
corp.gatehousemedia.com corp.gatehousemedia.com

31. Resources
"Coming in Print"
Explains the strategy behind “Coming in Print” and
offers suggestions on how to write engaging
promotions.
When: 2 p.m. Central, Friday, Jan. 25

32. Resources
Seen-on-scene photo galleries
Covers how to maximize time spent taking and
uploading seen-on-scene galleries and effectively
translate those efforts into page views. Includes
suggestions on where to shoot seen-on-scene
galleries.
When: 2 p.m. Central, Tuesday, Jan. 29

33. TWITTER
BASICS
GATEHOUSE NEWS & INTERACTIVE DIVISION