Sharif Durhams, the Social Media Editor at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, visted our Seminar in Journalism class today and shared how the Journal Sentinel uses social media.
"Our job is to figure out how people are taking in info, and how to deliver it to them in that form," said Durhams.
Durhams shared a video with us of Herman Cain speaking to the Journal Sentinel's editorial board that received over one million Youtube hits after it was tweeted through the Journal Sentinel's Twitter account, @NewsHub. It would not have been as popular if it had merely been written about in the paper.
Social media also allows for transparency from reporters, Durhams said. Reporters can tweet or blog of post on Facebook updates on their progress and the reporting process. They can share how they found their story, and how they reached the conclusions they did in their story.
Our professor, James Scotton, asked Durhams how journalists can distinguish themselves in this shrinking field. Durhams gave two suggestions: to provide in-depth journalism and to be an entrepreneur. What can you do that is uniqe? Durhams said in-depth journalism is still very valuabe, and it is important that our class of young journalists keeps the value of journalism that we learn at Marquette. It is also important to figure out how you can use Facebook and Twitter, and whatever else comes along, to get your material out there.
"Our job is to figure out how people are taking in info, and how to deliver it to them in that form," said Durhams.
Durhams shared a video with us of Herman Cain speaking to the Journal Sentinel's editorial board that received over one million Youtube hits after it was tweeted through the Journal Sentinel's Twitter account, @NewsHub. It would not have been as popular if it had merely been written about in the paper.
Social media also allows for transparency from reporters, Durhams said. Reporters can tweet or blog of post on Facebook updates on their progress and the reporting process. They can share how they found their story, and how they reached the conclusions they did in their story.
Our professor, James Scotton, asked Durhams how journalists can distinguish themselves in this shrinking field. Durhams gave two suggestions: to provide in-depth journalism and to be an entrepreneur. What can you do that is uniqe? Durhams said in-depth journalism is still very valuabe, and it is important that our class of young journalists keeps the value of journalism that we learn at Marquette. It is also important to figure out how you can use Facebook and Twitter, and whatever else comes along, to get your material out there.