Social media, mobile applications, and smartphones give us the power to be a walking news producer and consumer, but how do you teach future journalists to make that connection with people they may never meet need their following, likes, comments, and shares? Through her producing background and teaching broadcast news and new media in the classroom, Chandra will show you what news directors are looking for in new hires to make sure they have the right resources at their fingertips.

1. Chandra Clark, PhD
Chandra.clark@ua.edu
@altvprof
Social Media, Mobile
Applications and Modern
Journalism:
A Survey of News Managers
and Professionals

2. Background:
Teach introduction to broadcast
news, advanced broadcast news,
presentation skills for radio and
television, and new media
Former newsroom producer,
broadcast media relations, and
now freelance producer

3.  March 25, 2014
 Used Google Forms to generate simple survey
with 33 questions.
 Sent to newsroom colleagues, former news
students, news managers, producers, reporters,
from all over the country.
 Responses from New York City, Portland, Atlanta,
Orlando, Louisville, Nashville, Panama City,
Birmingham, Albany, etc.
 20 respondents in a 48 hour period.
 Based each question on a 5 point Likert scale.
 Asked two open ended questions.

4. For potential job candidates, do
they need to be avid users of
Twitter?
4.2/5

5. For potential job candidates, do
they need to be avid users of
Facebook?
4.3/5

6. For potential job candidates, do
they need to be avid users of
Instagram?
2.8/5

7. For potential job candidates, do
they need to be avid users of
Vine?
2.3/5

8. For potential job candidates, do
they need to be avid users of
Google Plus?
2.4/5

9. For potential job candidates, do
they need to be avid users of
Pinterest?
1.9/5

10. For potential job candidates, do
they need to be avid users of
LinkedIn?
2.9/5

11. For potential job candidates, do
they need to be frequent posters
to YouTube?
2.7/5

12. For potential job candidates,
do they need to have familiarity
with HTML coding?
2.0/5

13. For potential job candidates, do
they need to have familiarity
with cloud based servers such
as Box, Google Drive, Dropbox,
iCloud, etc.?
2.9/5

14. For potential job candidates, do
they need to have familiarity
with developing mobile
applications?
2.2/5

15. For modern journalism students,
what level do you place
videography as an essential skill
for reporter and producer reels?
3.6/5

16. For modern journalism students,
what level do you place writing
as an essential skill for reporter
and producer reels?
4.9/5

17. For modern journalism students,
what level do you place video
editing as an essential skill for
reporter and producer reels?
3.5/5

18. For modern journalism students,
what level do you place on on-air
presentation skills as an essential
skill for reporter and producer reels?
4.3/5

19. Rank in order the importance of writing, videography,
knowledge of mobile, video editing, on air presentation:
#1 Skill=Writing was #1 on all but 3 which were on air
performance
#2 Skill=8 for on air performance, 5 for editing, 3 for
knowledge of social media, 2 for writing, 2 for video editing
#3 Skill=11 for videography, 4 for social media
#4 Skill=7 social media, 6 video editing
#5 Skill=11 for social media, 4 on air performance

20. Do you consider someone who has a blog
an asset or liability as a potential hire’s
branding?
Liability: 11
Asset: 9

21. Why do you consider a blogger a liability?
“Not sure where their priorities lie. It gives me
two messages to manage, and I can only
monetize one.”
“Branding needs to be on point in every aspect
of the field. A person’s blog might not meet
expectations.”

22. Why do you consider a blogger a liability?
“Because a personal blog generally ends up
being a collecting place for the journalist's
own opinions and rants about their
workplace, co-workers, and job in general
and this can be detrimental to the station's
image as well as the reporters image.”

23. Why do you consider a blogger an asset?
“Building the personal brand of an on-air talent
is arguably more important than building the
station's brand in this digital age. Everyone
expects every station to cover the news. Any
window a reporter or anchor can give a viewer
into his or her life or personal perspective on
the news makes that reporter or anchor that
much more interesting as someone you would
"invite" into your home each night.”

24. Why do you consider a blogger an asset?
“It depends on what they're blogging, but it
also puts them in touch with their audience.
They won't be considered "talking heads,"
they'll be considered one of them with
something to bring to the table. It could also
smoke out new angles to high-interest
stories they've been covering.”

25. Why do you consider a blogger an asset?
“Someone actively blogging understands
the value of the platform in terms of SEO
and brand awareness.”

26. Additional input on traditional skills:
“Writing is, was, and always will be the #1 asset
for a newsroom hire.The rest is teachable.”
“In many cases, I'd rather a person tell a good
story than tell a story first. But I realize I'm in the
minority here. Just because you Tweeted out a
story before anyone else doesn't mean it's
factually right. Get the facts straight before
hitting "send.”

27. “Make sure the first 15 to 30 seconds on your
resume reel is your absolute, top-notch quality
stuff. Most of the time, that's as far as we will get
into a reel to determine if you are one to
continue looking at. I also believe social media
needs to be stressed more. We could do so
many cool things through not only Facebook and
Twitter to tease the stories for upcoming
newscasts.”
Additional input on traditional skills:

28. Additional input on traditional skills:
“I would hope that employers value writing at the
top of their lists. I also place a high value on
videography because the pictures and sounds
help tell the story. Video editing comes with that.
I do place a high value on on-air performance, too.
If you don't have talent to deliver a story on cam,
the other three are wasted.”

29. “They need to understand that they cannot
segregate their social media. There is no such thing
as a "personal" account.”
“There is no doubt social media ability is crucial to
modern journalism, but the most important skill set
remains your ability to research and write a story
creatively and effectively - and communicate it on
TV with solid on-air presentation skills.”
Additional input on social media skills:

30. “Social media rules the day when it comes to
Interacting with viewers which means you need
to know how the applications work. Also, I've had
to use various mobile apps aside from social media
in a pinch just to get a story done – be it video
editing, a field teleprompter, making graphics, etc.
When you find the person who can do all of these
together, hire them and keep them well paid.”
Additional input on social media skills:

31. Additional input on general skills:
“I think that a candidate needs to come in with an attitude of
learning and not a know-it-all attitude. It is the BIGGEST turn
off to hiring kids out of college. They don't want to work, yet
they think they know everything!“
“I would advise that students set realistic goals. It is
becoming increasingly difficult to get into this business out
of school. The more experience they have the better. Do as
many internships and as many jobs in those internships so
that they will become a very well rounded individual.”

32. Additional input on general skills:
“The more you can do the better potential you have to be
hired. Don't be afraid to take a job you don't necessarily
want to do right off the bat. It can lead to great things.
Off air jobs are a lot easier to come by than on air.”
“Potential hires should be a team player. They should also
be able to take constructive criticism and be reliable.”

33. Chandra Clark, PhD
Chandra.clark@ua.edu
@altvprof
Social Media, Mobile
Applications and Modern
Journalism:
A Survey of News Managers
and Professionals