Every journalist has a social media horror story. Whether it’s a minor typo, a breach of objectivity or an internet beef, the proliferation of social media in journalism today makes very public mistakes almost inevitable. But what if journalists had better tools to avoid these mistakes—or, at least, to reduce the worry that we’ll inadvertently make them?
In a June 2022 Pew Research Center survey of nearly 12,000 journalists, 94% said they use at least one social media app for work. Their favorites: Twitter, followed by Facebook.
However, only 41% of them think that social media has a “positive impact on their ability to build trust in the news they produce”.
Despite this, journalists put pressure on themselves to be active on the platforms. As Northwestern Medill students who spent the summer researching this topic, we approached our project with two questions: How can journalists avoid the worst parts of social media and how can they use it for the public good?
Journalists around the country have similar advice, which we’ve collected here.
Journalists recommend creating a Twitter account so that your name is visible to readers looking for you online. How active you are is up to you – some share updates and hot stuff every day, while others only use it for big announcements.
Your bio should match the content you produce. Brian Rosenthal uses a more formal bio (“@NYTimes subway reporter | @ColumbiaJourn adjunct”). Media commentator Ana Navarro-Cardenas includes humor (“failed diet”).
“Be aware that your bio is often the first thing people will see, and they will treat your Twitter account accordingly,” said Adam Sanders, a Princeton University student and news director of WPRB radio in Princeton, New Jersey. . “It’s a little annoying to see a tweet about a case of sexual assault on campus or discourse on race and inequality from an account that has a very thick bio.”
Your Twitter handle must be identifiable as you. If someone else shares your name (calling all John Smiths!), add a middle initial or a short phrase so people know it’s your account. For example, Sanders changed his Twitter handle from @varsityquizbowl to @adambsanders.
If you want to hear from readers, include your email address in your bio and keep your direct messages open.
Ask Chen, the senior media reporter at Insider and former deputy social news editor at BuzzFeed News, lists her email in her bio but only uses Twitter during business hours as a way to help protect her mental health . She limits her social media presence because of the personal attacks she received from “rabid fans” of the people she covered.
“Journalists are people,” Chen said. “We make mistakes and we take responsibility for those mistakes and we fix them, but that doesn’t excuse how cruel and ruthless people are online.”
Social networks help you reach people close to breaking news, such as a natural disaster or a bill that is up for a vote. Small details of live tweets, like the energy of the crowd at a concert or photos of protesters’ signs, can help draw attention to your tweets, as they share a first-hand perspective that might be left out of a news story. completed.
Social media posts can give you story ideas, but make sure they’re newsworthy. “I think one of the fatal flaws of social media is that anything can be called a trend just because a few people have talked about it,” he said. Brock Colyar, a writer at New York Magazine. “But that doesn’t always mean it has to rise to the level of a story.”
Follow thought leaders in the field you report on to build a network of expert resources. This includes academics, non-profit leaders and other journalists.
View accounts like @CisionJobs, @MEOjobs AND @MandyHofmockel for employment opportunities, and keep an eye out for field calls from editors.
“I use Twitter to hear about new jobs,” said Erica Snow, social media editor at MarketWatch. “It’s a really great way to connect with hiring managers and other people who may be able to connect you with your next professional opportunity.”
Follow people across demographics, regions and subjects.
“I think I benefit from having some journalists in my feeds that aren’t based on the East Coast or the Northeast,” said Christophe Haubursin, video producer at Vox. “Try to choose your followers in a way that gives you diversity of discourse.”
Remember that your readers and your Twitter following are not always the same. “I sometimes think that the ‘Twitter of journalism’ is just that: our audience is other journalists,” Colyar said. “When I write a story, I don’t have to think about how other journalists will take it. I have to think about how the New York Magazine audience will receive it.”
Sharing your published stories can get you noticed by fellow journalists—and recruiters. Be generous and share the work of your peers as well. Axios reporter Ashley Gold retweet regularly the stories of her colleagues.
“It’s helpful to see what they’re working on and what spoons they might have,” Gold said. “You can keep up with what your fellow journalists are doing without having to go to their publications’ websites.”
Student journalists also appreciate responses and recaps from working professionals. “Sometimes when you write for a student publication, it’s like shouting into the void,” he said Alex Perry, Medill Class of 2024 and a Dow Jones News Fund intern. “Being recognized by people who are established in the industry is something Twitter has helped me do and it’s something I want to give back to people.”
Unlike full stories, your tweets likely won’t go through an editing or fact-checking process, so be careful. Remember that you also represent your publication, and your words can damage the credibility of colleagues covering the topic of your tweet.
Humanize yourself online and don’t just become a billboard for your work. “The best journalists put their content out there and then ask questions,” he said And Roth, LinkedIn’s editor-in-chief. “You’re using it as a chance to not only talk about what you’re publishing, but to develop a deeper relationship with your audience. This should be a conversation, not a sermon.”
For example, Roth promoted his interview with Bill Gates noting his personal cues: The Microsoft founder said the COVID-19 pandemic has put a damper on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s ongoing aid initiatives, and he talked about co-chairing the foundation after the couple’s divorce.
Private accounts can protect against unwanted harassment, but they limit who sees your tweets.
“General users want to interact with journalists on the platform,” he said Eric Zuckerman, head of US news partnerships at Twitter. “Many people on Twitter say that Twitter helps them find new journalists to follow. People love it when journalists tweet about things outside of their typical beat.”
538 Data Editor Holly Phuong said she usually only tweets about her work or her colleagues’ projects, but when basketball season starts, she’ll be rooting for her favorite teams and sharing commentary on Twitter.
LinkedIn for Journalists helps journalists find resources with a stronger search feature and offers free training sessions, and the program accepts applications on a quarterly basis.
When you post to the site, work with the algorithm to get your posts in front of as many people as possible, said Ashley Peterson, deputy managing editor of global projects at LinkedIn News. She recommends sparingly using hashtags because the algorithm identifies an excess of them as spam and will filter your post from your followers’ feeds. She also recommends tagging notable people and companies that are relevant to the stories you share (eg Roth tagging Bill Gates), since everyone who follows those people will see your post in their feed.
“You have to think about how you grow your stuff beyond your network,” Peterson said. “When people come to LinkedIn, they may come to look for a job. They can come to make a connection. They can come to update their profile. They’re not just coming here to read the news, so we have to find ways to get in front of members.”
A new study by Pew Research found that teenagers are more likely to use video-based platforms. Only 23% of respondents said they ever use Twitter, compared to 95% for YouTube and 67% for TikTok.
Journalists covering trends (like thrift) and events (the one-chip challenge) often use Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat to find sources through hashtags and reach out through direct messages. Many journalists keep their Instagram accounts personal and unrelated to their work.
Journalists cross the line between private citizens and public figures. As such, their social media habits come under more scrutiny than the average user. But the promise of audience expansion and industry recognition keeps many journalists on these platforms. This constant pressure is unsustainable. While our words are not set in stone, they can help ease the burden of being a watchdog, sensitizer, community resource, and online forum leader all rolled into one.
