New Media
How To Help Next Generation Journalists
by Jake Potter
I recently caught a thought-provoking tweet from Andrew Dunn, current editor-in-chief for The Daily Tar Heel. It really captures how pervasive the Internet has become in the realm of reporting.
@andrew_dunn: I'm going to put something out there: I think new reporters should be forbidden from using the Internet for research.
I tend to agree with him. The tools available today have the potential to make cub reporters “soft.” It isn’t the first time that concerns like Andrew’s have been voiced before; with newsrooms continuing to scale back, reporters often are finding their hands tied. That certainly can lead to lazy reporting full of “shortcuts.”
As a PR firm, we have to answer to a number of audiences. In my opinion, the most important audience – perhaps even more so than our clientele – might be the reporters we communicate with on a regular basis. So, when we focus on developing new tools, leveraging social media and generating conversations in new places, our endgame is always “How are we simplifying the process for our reporters?”
That’s why I think the next-generation journalists – at least the ones who have proven their mettle and pounded the pavement – have a distinct advantage. More reporters are discovering that sources within their corporate and social communities are increasingly enthusiastic about providing helpful content, and more PR firms are going 2.0 (thanks, Brian Solis) and foregoing fluff for content with legitimate news value.
Podcasts are a good example. Many of our clients put podcasting to use because it allows for an informal discussion that can’t be captured in a news release. And many reporters we work with on a regular basis have mined these for valuable quotes.
The same goes for our social media content. One thing we try to achieve for our clients is visibility in the right places, and when we can help a biotech expert connect with the appropriate beat writers on Twitter, we have taken one more link out of the chain.
Next-generation journalists who just now are breaking into the field have a whole new palette of sourcing available to them. Cub reporters absolutely should be mindful how they incorporate those tools into their work, but for those reporters ready to adopt unorthodox techniques, new PR tools are helping with the legwork.
Let's wrap up with an open-ended question for you: What tools do you find yourself using more in your reporting these days? Let us know in the comments.
Permalink | 12/11/2009 |
