Social Media in the Newsroom
I could use your help. Some of you saw a tiny, mini little meltdown I had on Twitter yesterday regarding the potential loss of my newspaper being able to use it. I learned that Twitter is considered “against coroporate policy” as it is considered a social networking tool. They also feel there are security risks with us using it, not to mention the potential for employees to use it as a way to get around the “no instant messaging’ ban in place.
They’re incredibly strict about that sort of thing.
So I’m being asked to justify my use of Twitter for the the newspaper, the reporters/photographer’s use of Twitter, and the reason why we need an app like Twhirl installed on company computers to run it.
I’ve given our IT person (who is on our side) my spiel about it and I was as impassioned as I could be. But I want to back it up with media examples, links to articles about Twitter use by reporters, and if anyone can speak to the security of it, or apps like Twhirl, I would greatly appreciate it.
I don’t have much time to put this together. I’m searching what I can but I was hoping the hive mind of Twitter could help me put this together faster so I can get this to the people who need their minds opened by the end of the day today.
Thank you for your help.
UPDATE: Comments are best, but apparently my Spam filter isn’t letting people post links. I’ve changed it, but if it doesn’t work, please email me? Thanks!)
Steph
4 Responses to “Enlisting your help: Justifying Twitter”
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I work as the Web Editor and Social Media Coordinator for the Grand Island Independent, in Nebraska, which is owned by the Omaha World Herald.
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Stephanie Romanski » Followup: Asking Twitter to Justify Twitter
March 4th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
[...] this morning I put out a call for help via my Twitter account asking for as many media articles, examples and testimonies to the benefits [...]
Brian Carson
March 4th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Not sure if this helps answer your direct question, but Dan Gillmor gave an interesting speech at Ignite Phoenix about Journalism’s Implosion due, in some part, to the expansion of internet medium tools. http://ignitephoenix.blip.tv/#1848641
Farhan Rehman
March 4th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Check out the UK’s Metro – http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/extra/article.html?Sport_stars_on_Twitter&in_article_id=564191&in_page_id=52 (if you put a search into it for “Twitter”, you can see more content).
The British Guardian (http://browse.guardian.co.uk/search?search=twitter&sitesearch-radio=guardian&go-guardian=Search)
with a great detailed article here – http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/feb/15/twitter-microblogging-cultural-influence
Coverage by BBC – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7844595.stm
In essence news breaks through twitter faster than through any other medium, and most journalists in the uk are being forced to have to start thinking about and using twitter, because it’s becoming such a fast way to find out what’s happening,,,
Paul Balcerak
March 5th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I don’t know if this is going to do anything for your bosses, but myself and a few other journalists in my region used Twitter a couple months back to organize and aggregate coverage during a flood.
“I learned that Twitter is considered “against coroporate policy” as it is considered a social networking tool.” They don’t allow social networking? Ouch.
I’m sure you’ve made the argument already, but how hard is it for them to understand: Social media is where your audience is. Saying that you can’t use social media sites is like saying you’re not allowed to hang out at the local town hall.