The document discusses how journalists can use social media tools like Twitter and Facebook to provide breaking news, develop an online community around shared interests, crowdsource stories, and promote their work. It encourages journalists to thoughtfully consider which social platforms suit their personality and how often they will participate. The presenter shares their personal social media practices and how they engage youth audiences online while respecting privacy. Extra engagement techniques mentioned include using maps, timelines, surveys and polls.

1. Putting Children
in the Right
Building Capacity for Belizean Journalists
Social Media & Web Tools
Nov. 22, 2011
Holly Edgell
UNICEF Belize &
The University of the West Indies Open Campus, Belize

2. 4 reasons we’re on the Web
 Information we can use
 Commerce
 Connecting with others
 Entertainment
 READERS WANT TO CONSTRUCT A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

3. Social Media
 Social media are media for interaction between
people
 Use the web to allow users to interact;
exchange content
 Twitter; Facebook; Linkedin; YouTube;
Foursquare
 New: Google+
 KOMU-TV & Google+

4. Journalists & Social Media
 Twitter and Facebook are great ways to:
 Provide breaking news; update developing stories; report in
real time
 Development a virtual community based on shared interests
 Crowdsource the news
 Using a large group of readers to report a news story.
 Promote upcoming coverage
 Remind/promote previously published content
 Find sources, information
 Follow “trending topics”

5. Social Media & You
 Think about which social media are best suited to your
lifestyle and personality.
 How often will you participate
 What kinds of things will you share, what kinds of
conversations will you join?
 Which “you” do you want to put “out there”

6. How I Use Social Media
 I have personal accounts for the following. Even though
they are personal, I am mindful of sharing personal
information and try to keep my posts appropriate to the
social media tool in question.
 Twitter
 Facebook
 Linkedin
 YouTube
 SlideShare

7. Me &Twitter
 I follow about 2000 people/entities
 Journalists
 Media outlets (TV, radio, newspapers, digital)
 Travel
 Writers
 Celebrities
 Bloggers
 Friends
 Non-profits
 Government/politicians
 PR and marketing people

8. Me &Facebook
 I use PAGES, join GROUPS, check in with PLACES
 I share lots of articles (links), photos, some video
 Post on walls, send/receive messages, find out about people
 About 1,400 friends
 Actual friends (high school, college, current, new)
 Former students
 Journalists
 Family members
 Travel

9. Social Media Practices
 I use “Follow Fridays” on Twitter to let people know about “Tweeps” I
think are cool, useful, interesting. Or, just people I know and like.
(#FF)
 Engage in “conversations” about issues in the news, media, trends
 I retweet stuff from other other media outlets, usually with a brief
comment, if space allows
 I use hashtags on Twitter (e.g. #STL, #journalism)
 I thank people for following me/friending me & for retweeting my
posts
 I don’t sync my Facebook& Twitter accounts
 Populations are very different
 Don’t want to inundate my friends, followers with the same info

10. Social Media & You
 Your safety and personal space
 Do you want everyone to know where you are and want you
are doing at all times?
 TMI
 Count to ten before you “over share” or vent your emotions
 Your good name
 Be mindful of your reputation
 What impression will the world have of you via social media?

11. Engaging with Youth via Social
Media
 Belize individuals
 Respect the privacy and virtual space of children
 What are youth talking about?
 Research
 Trends
 Warning signs

12. Engaging with Youth via Social
Media
 Belize groups on Facebook
 Youth Voices
 Global Parish
 Hattieville Youths
 Belize National Youth Development Policy Consultations
 Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Program

13. A cool crowdsourcing case
 On the Ground News Reports
 Uses Facebook& Twitter
 Originated in Kingston, Jamaica
during Christopher “Dudus” Coke
standoff, 2010
 Now continues to provide news about politics, crime, culture
from a grassroots level

14. How do we read the Web?
 Mostly, we scan
 Jakob Nielsen:
 highlighted keywords (hypertext links serve as one form of
highlighting; typeface variations and color are others)
 meaningful sub-headings
 bulleted lists
 one idea per paragraph (users will skip over any additional ideas
if they are not caught by the first few words in the paragraph)
 Inverted Pyramid
 Half the word count

15. F-SHAPE
IN THIS EYE-TRACK STUDY YOU SEE THAT READERS DON’T GET TO THE END

16. Fun with story forms
 Photo galleries/slideshows
 Audio slideshows
 Link like crazy!
 Related content
 Resources
 Incorporating audio and video
 Embedding

17. EXTRAS: Maps
 Makes data and trends real
 Provide context
 Examples:
 Wichita Unsolved Murders
 Stink map
 Catholic High School Open Houses

18. EXTRAS: Timelines
 Great for trends, historical context, narrative
 Example: 1969 (New York Times)
 Example: Inventing the Wheel

19. Tools
 Timelines
 Create your own: TimelineSetter
 Create your own: Dipity
 Create your own: Simile
 Surveys
 Example: Survey Monkey
 Polls
 Example: PollDaddy
 Maps
 embed a MapQuest Map
 embed a Google Map