Comments on: How Social Media is Changing Communication http://www.walkersands.com/Blog/how-social-media-is-changing-communication/ Chicago PR Firm Blog + Web Design Firm Blog + SEO Firm Blog + Marketing Firm Blog Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:16:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Lauren http://www.walkersands.com/Blog/how-social-media-is-changing-communication/comment-page-1/#comment-118 Lauren Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:44:29 +0000 /Blog/?p=606#comment-118 Tessa, you bring up an interesting point. Journalists do have professional guidelines about social media, and some media outlets even forbid reporters to maintain their own Twitter accounts because of objectivity concerns. Yet this doesn’t mean they can’t find sources through social media. Social media is another tool for them to find everyday people (or experts) to add insight to their stories. In fact, @redeyechicago frequently asks its Twitter followers for commentary on the news. Such feedback often appears in the next publication. It’s bringing consumers closer to the news and allowing them to interact with the media on another level. Reporters must exercise caution if they are using information about someone taken from a social media outlet, however. If it's public information, they are allowed to use it as long as they provide proper attribution to where they found the information (and if they deem it credible). If you’re talking about quoting someone directly from their Facebook or blog, the reporter must validate that it actually came from that person. You’re right that many reporters are using social media for story ideas as well. When this is the case with a blog, they often contact the blogger directly as their first source. Tessa, you bring up an interesting point. Journalists do have professional guidelines about social media, and some media outlets even forbid reporters to maintain their own Twitter accounts because of objectivity concerns. Yet this doesn’t mean they can’t find sources through social media. Social media is another tool for them to find everyday people (or experts) to add insight to their stories. In fact, @redeyechicago frequently asks its Twitter followers for commentary on the news. Such feedback often appears in the next publication. It’s bringing consumers closer to the news and allowing them to interact with the media on another level.

Reporters must exercise caution if they are using information about someone taken from a social media outlet, however. If it’s public information, they are allowed to use it as long as they provide proper attribution to where they found the information (and if they deem it credible). If you’re talking about quoting someone directly from their Facebook or blog, the reporter must validate that it actually came from that person. You’re right that many reporters are using social media for story ideas as well. When this is the case with a blog, they often contact the blogger directly as their first source.

]]> By: Tessa Nadler http://www.walkersands.com/Blog/how-social-media-is-changing-communication/comment-page-1/#comment-116 Tessa Nadler Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:43:29 +0000 /Blog/?p=606#comment-116 When reporters use social media outlets to ask for sources or find sources, is this crossing boundaries for professional jouralists or reporters today? I am aware of strict, objective guidelines that reporters must follow in order to keep their jobs, so is using these social outlets for sources too controversial because it is perhaps crossing too personal of boundaries? I am leaning towards the thought that it is perhaps crossing boundaries on the reporter's behalf. For a reporter to take someone's personal twitter updates, facebook profile information, or personal blog entries and use them for sources and information may be crossing too personal of boundaries. I do think it is OK for a reporter to use this information for story ideas, on the other hand. When reporters use social media outlets to ask for sources or find sources, is this crossing boundaries for professional jouralists or reporters today? I am aware of strict, objective guidelines that reporters must follow in order to keep their jobs, so is using these social outlets for sources too controversial because it is perhaps crossing too personal of boundaries? I am leaning towards the thought that it is perhaps crossing boundaries on the reporter’s behalf. For a reporter to take someone’s personal twitter updates, facebook profile information, or personal blog entries and use them for sources and information may be crossing too personal of boundaries. I do think it is OK for a reporter to use this information for story ideas, on the other hand.

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