I’m what you would classify as a Twitter observer – I look but I don’t touch. In response to my inactivity, I’m frequently told by digital experts “use it or lose it,” but I like my omnipresent view of the Twittersphere. It comes in handy to quickly ascertain the score of a game or the cause of train delays.
In the vein of self improvement, I’ve been asking myself what more could I do on Twitter? One obvious answer is engaging with journalists. Which lead me to my next questions – how do journalists use Twitter?
With the help of my colleague Cary Ruterman, I conducted an unscientific, but telling, audit of reporters’ social media habits. We spoke with journalists from print, online, broadcast and wire outlets and all of them focused on finance (that is kind of what we are known for here at Prosek).
Here is what we asked and found...
How do you use Twitter (professionally, for your reporting)?
All our respondents utilize it in almost in the same way: to monitor news, to connect with sources and to see what the industry and competitors alike are "talking about."
That seems like a lot to rely on Twitter for. How does it really impact you reporting?
Almost all reporters audited consider Twitter to be a key, daily source for reporting with one describing Twitter an “essential resource.” One reluctant reporter admitted that “it is becoming more useful to a degree.”
Don’t wear flip flops. That was one of many rules outlined in the employee handbook we received when we first started at Prosek. We also aren’t allowed to harass or threaten our co-workers or come to work smelling bad as “good personal hygiene is expected.” Those are all easy enough rules to follow.
Advertising doesn’t cure diseases or feed hungry people, but society is better off with advertising than without. This is the mantra taught to most students enrolled in “AD101.” The number one benefit of advertising is that it subsidizes the cost of news and entertainment. Why is my Metro paper free every morning? Why do I only pay $50 dollars for 200 cable channels but HBO alone costs $20 a month? Advertising!
