I'm a journalist and I tweet — and here's why
Media outlets across America are wrestling with social media: how to establish a presence, and how much should reporters say on social media sites.
The Statesman has trusted individual reporters to use their own best judgment — and choose to participate, or not participate, as they see fit.
This isn't news to the Boise "Tweeple" who read Michael Deeds' Twitter-bashing in Friday's Scene magazine. They know that several Statesman editors and writers are active on Twitter: including Niki Forbing-Orr, Patrick Orr, Brian Murphy, Rocky Barker, Katy Moeller, Andre Nosalsky, Joe Jaszewski and Jesse Zentz.
No one monolithic Statesman voice on social media here. I doubt Deeds speaks on behalf of these fellow staffers. He sure doesn't speak for me.
I suppose I could have written a similarly snarky riff several months ago, before I joined Twitter and found out about it for itself.
Where I really disagree with Deeds is that, in lampooning self-absorbed celebrity Twitterers, he lumps all Twitter users into the same crowd. The vast majority of Twitter users, says Deeds, "(are) juicing their eggshell egos with a false sense of self-importance."
That is — forgive me for lacking the strength to resist — Twittertyping. The column reaches conclusions about the whole, based on a small subset. That's a recipe for incomplete or misinformed opinion.
I can't add a lot to the criticism that's already out there: Chris Oates and Lisa McGrath have said it well.
I can instead speak to why, as a newspaper editor with a few years on Deeds, I have jumped into Twitter.
I'm not there to follow Miley Cyrus. And I hope I'm not Twittertyping myself, but I don't expect that many of Miley Cyrus' young followers are going onto Twitter to see what I have to say about the Boise streetcar. No worries. I use Twitter as a place to guide readers to my editorials, blogs and columns — and to engage in a dialogue with readers. My followers tend to be professional, smart and interested in politics. By being on Twitter, I'm learning about the issues and learning about my readership. What journalist can afford not to do this?
I also use Twitter as a news feed; I get a lot of breaking news tips by checking in. And nary a news tip has involved toenail-clipping.
Is there a lot of 140-character space junk floating around on Twitter? Of course. I don't think any Twitter user would deny that. And if the signal-to-noise ratio was truly as bad as Deeds suggests, I'd be throwing rocks from the outside myself. As a busy professional, I'm on Twitter because the time I spend there pays off.
That's what I think Deeds is missing — and what he missed in his column.
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In Simplied Form
I can instead speak to why,,,have jumped into Twitter.
-I use Twitter as a place to guide readers to my editorials, blogs and columns — and
-to engage in a dialogue with readers.
-By being on Twitter, I'm learning about the issues and learning about my readership.
-I also use Twitter as a news feed; I get a lot of breaking news tips by checking in.
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Seems to me, twitter is simply ANOTHER form of a blog. An instant and mobile blog. Why duplicate yourself? So you express your opinion in print, on your Internet blog, on your Facebook, AND your twitter. Geez, I can't imagine what you talk about IN PERSON. And why would anyone want to CALL you, or go to lunch in person? "Let's just tweet about it".
I don't think it's 'social' media. There is very little 'social' about so many people addicted to their cell phones for texts and tweets, unless we expand the meaning of "sociopath".
As I've said before, let's consider it orginates and is most popular with teens- much like acne.
Not that I didn't point that out a few months ago...
No, Kevin, you are on Twitter simply because you believe there is a missed opportunity to be 'somewhere'. Once you get past the 'it' factor you'll find it's not only vapid but, like a lot of things developed lately, not very secure (by the fault of it's creator and team's sloppiness and disregard for sound coding practice) and when the sites built to use the standard are better than the original perhaps you have a problem.
You may have 10-15 years seniority on me but I started using computers in 1979 at THIRTEEN and I don't believe you know the half of it. Too many really bad betas just thrown at us and they tell us wait for the fixes (the last Google Groups changeover was the worst of them). Customer service that relies on the USERS to answer everything (virtually a standard now) and who wants to guess if Johnny actually knows anything or is trying to sound important and scam 'points' and 'reputation'? HUMBUG!
This is a stunt.
By the way, it's hard to log on to Voices when you get a server error and it also stopped setting the cookie for the password (not the biggest deal). If I refresh and retry 1-? times I will get there. Doesn't happen on the main site.
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
Is the past tense twittered or tweeted?
Tweeted sounds like a muted fart.
TWEET :NEWS FLASH
Tweet News Tip:
KR, maybe your birds are dead or you just don't care about such things,
but there is a developing news piece about Ada County paying for a crosswalk for employees, and a Commissioner Ullman wants a second one for jaywalkers on Front St. In addition the BoiseGuardian highlights the courthouse security systems is special for the county employees.
see it develop at:
http://boiseguardian.com/2009/10/16/what-it-takes-to-earn-your-stripes/
http://boiseguardian.com/2009/10/17/county-workers-skirt-security-scrutiny/
of course both C. Baker and C. Ullman are bloggin about it too.
So if you are not keeping up on these things that YOUR readers are interested in, wth good is your twitter doing US?
caw, caw!
Time to call Mr. Nowalsky I guess...
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
I agree with Kevin
Well said, Kevin. It's you job to keep testing how people get information, see what works, and that means what works for you and your paper. I like your blog and tweets and consider both an important element of the paper's outreach.
Outreach means you never have to explain you're sorry...
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
Now you can find out how Miley Cyrus really feels about .....
the economy, war on terror, and .... oh wait, I forgot, she gave up tweeting.
I have a suggestion for you Kev ......
start reporting the news and stop trying to make the news. There are some things (many things) about you we really don't care about. I guess, however, I should expect see a marked increase in the quality of your product now that you are tweeting -- I'll be watching.
He's been tweeting for half to a full year now.
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
Tweet of the day!
Obama finally.. commits 40,000 troops to his war on FoxNews
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There is no life in Oregon..so F-Oregonians are forced to criticize, condemn & complain about life in Idaho, without the credibility of the Idaho citizenry who pay Idaho Income/Property taxes.
Dear SO, my parents make mortgage and PT payments.
Reading is fundamental isn't just a slogan.
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
Oh, my bad FO !
That's just so logical it entirely validates your credibilty to trash Idaho. You don't perhaps have any relatives in China...do you?
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There is no life in Oregon... so F-Oregonians are forced to criticize, condemn & complain about life in Idaho, without the credibility of the Idaho citizenry who pay Idaho Income/Property taxes.
I have kin that raise china shop bulls.
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
No surprise FO!
Had to be some bull in there somewhere!
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There is no life in Oregon... so F-Oregonians are forced to criticize, condemn & complain about life in Idaho, without the credibility of the Idaho citizenry who pay Idaho Income/Property taxes.
1380 The Bull is down the street a bit.
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
I'm amazed nobody has actually claimed to have tweeted on this.
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...