Digital Journalism

Steve ButtryUniversity of Colorado

October 19, 2012#cudigital

Read more about it• stevebuttry.wordpress.com• slideshare.net/stevebuttry• @stevebuttry• stephenbuttry@gmail.com

Plan for the day1. How a digital newsroom works2. Digital news strategy3. Working digital-first4. Digital tools for today’s journalists5. Social media tools & techniques6. Launching your career in digital

journalism

The Digital Newsroom

What’s important?• What’s happening now? • Engagement & collaboration• Unique content (enterprise, analysis)• Measuring performance• Strong values• Experimentation w/ tools & techniques• Workflow: process & standards

What’s happening now?• Livestreaming• Liveblogging• Live chats• Alerts• Feed tweets into site

Engagement & collaboration• Join, stimulate, lead & curate the

community conversation• Crowdsourcing stories• Community newsrooms• Mobile newsrooms

Engagement & collaboration• Join, stimulate, lead & curate the

community conversation• Crowdsourcing stories• Community newsrooms• Mobile newsrooms• Network w/ community blogs

Unique content• Commodity content has little value

(curation can add value)• Databases (answerbases) have greater

shelf life• Lead conversation around enterprise• Do what you do best & link to the rest

(Jeff Jarvis)

Measuring performance• Metrics have always mattered• Understand what metrics say & what

they don’t• Seek multiple metrics• Learn from metrics, but they don’t

override values• Recognize flukes & don’t overreact

Some values don’t change

“Seek truth & report it.” – SPJ Code of Ethics

• Accuracy• Truth• Attribution• Transparency• Identification• Fairness• Community

• Watchdog role• First Amendment• Timeliness &

reflection• Civility & respect• Diversity• Skepticism

Digital-first values

Can we raise standards?• Does he-said-she-said story really seek &

report truth?• Is the “view from nowhere” honest?• Dan Gillmor suggests replacing

“objectivity” w/ transparency, fairness, accuracy, thoroughness

Digital news strategy

Clay Shirky:

“Nothing will work,but everything might.”

John Paton:

“You don’t tinker or tweak a broken model. You start again

anew.”

Digital First principles• Digital First & print last• Put the digital people in charge• Engage the community• Core competencies: Local content & local

sales• If it’s not core: reduce it, stop it, sell it or

outsource it

Foundation to build on:• Strong brands• Local content• Local sales force• Journalistic integrity

Engagement = value• Computers & archives for

community use• Open news meetings• Blog network• Classes• Digital audience 5x print• From loss to profit

What engagement isCommunity engagement = News orgs make top priority to listen, to join, lead & enable conversation to elevate journalism.

What engagement isn’t• Promotion (though it has promotional

value)• Distribution of content (though you

should)• Purely a digital pursuit (it uses digital

tools along w/ traditional ones)

What engagement isCommunity engagement = News orgs make top priority to listen, to join, lead & enable conversation to elevate journalism.

Avenues of Engagement• Social media• Blogs• Crowdsourcing• Breaking news• Stories • Events• Curation• Aggregation

• Content submissions• Interactive content• Voting, contests• Comments• Schools, groups• Feedback• Print• Face to face

Jim Brady:

“There's no silver bullet. There's just shrapnel.”

Mobile Opportunity• 44% of U.S. adults have smartphones• 18% of U.S. adults have tablets (up 50%

from summer 2011 to early 2012)

Source: State of the News Media 2012

Mobile-first strategy• Text alerts• Email • Applications (phones & tablets)• Social media (tweets, check-ins, tips)• Location-based news, info & commerce• Easy-to-use mobile websites• Device-flexible (not device-agnostic)• Games (phones, iPads great for games)

Personal content• Births• Youth milestones• School• Graduation• College life• Military service• Weddings• Parenthood

• Divorce• Jobs, pets, holidays,

food, interests, health• Illness• Empty nesters• Retirement• Reunions• Obituaries

Life stories• Commissioned obits (journalist tells life

story, paid by family)• Obituary, website, booklet, video• Not just obits: weddings, retirements,

anniversaries, milestones

Newspaper Next

N2 lessons for Digital First

• Jobs to be done = opportunities• “Good enough” opens doors to new

avenues of excellence• Potential markets exceed what you can

imagine (or what research can project)• “Beware the sucking sound of the core”

Working Digital-First

Thinking digital-first• Story is, as Jeff Jarvis says, a process, not a

product• It’s great to be first w/ story or the idea, but

otherwise link• Community = collaborators• Lots of RTs or a prominent link are better than

front-page story• How can you use new tools to do better

stories?

Working digital-first• Create content for digital platforms (web,

email, SMS, social, mobile)• Produce print & broadcast products from

content on digital platforms• Live coverage of events• Breaking news coverage• Engage community

Court reporter• Live-tweet from courtroom (narrative,

not a transcript)• Feed tweets into liveblog• Big development: Text news alert to

editor• Write summary or analysis story for web

& print

Why to liveblog• Immediacy• News value• Storytelling• Traffic• Community engagement, loyalty • Interactivity• Saving time

Liveblog formats• Update (time-stamp, reverse-chron) in

blog or story template• Use CoverItLive• Use ScribbleLive• Live-tweet (on Twitter or feeding blog)• Video stream (w/liveblog)• Raw, edited or moderated

Tips, techniques• Short, frequent takes• Space isn’t an issue; engagement is• Liveblog becomes notebook• Consider links, polls, photos, audio, video• Promote live & replays• Tweet links to liveblog & replay• OK to step away for question, video, etc.

Liveblog & print story• Liveblog is notebook: cut, paste & edit• Note when you know you’ve written

good lead or passage for story• Does summary (w/ web plug) work for

print?• Plug “complete coverage” in liveblog

Liveblogging issues• Accuracy (stress verification, ask

questions, seek links & documentation, correct quickly and candidly)

• Rough copy• Sports credentials• Multi-tasking• Learning curve

Court reporter, no trial• Traditional rounds: lawyers, judges,

clerks, filings• Add #DigitalFirst rounds: monitor tweets,

search Twitter, Facebook groups & pages• Tweet/alert/blog big filings• Video clips in interviews• Scan or download docs if not online

Beat reporter• Beatblog• Liveblog meetings, events• Tweet/alert/liveblog breaking news• Live chat on continuing stories• Data visualization• Curate community conversation

Beat reporter questions• How to crowdsource story?• What terms, hashtags should you search

(routinely & for each story)?• Regular/special hashtags to use?• People to follow? New FB pages/groups?• Other social media to search (YouTube,

Flickr, Foursquare, Google+ …)?

Visual journalist• Shoot first w/ smartphone & post• Shoot w/ camera for slideshow & print• Shoot video• Record ambient sound, interviews• If disaster, shoot some after shots for

before/after

Digital JournalismTools & Techniques

Steve ButtryUniversity of Texas-Arlington Shorthorn

August 14, 2012#utashorthorn

Text• Stories• Lists• Headlines• Captions• Liveblog• Comments• Polls

• Quizzes• Chats• Tweets• FB updates• Text on video• Text in graphics• Links

Audio• Podcast• Audio clips• Audio w/ slides• Soundtrack on video• Google voice

Visuals• Photos• Slideshows• Videos• Animations• Graphics• Data visualizations• Screenshots

• Maps• Instagram• Flickr• YouTube• Facebook• Pinterest• Twitter

Data• Think of answerbases, not databases• Data personalizes story for readers• Data gives lasting value to reporting• Caspio is plug & play database tool• DataViz & Visual.ly• Google Fusion maps• Google Docs & Forms

Factors in blogging success• Idea• Format• Headline• Visuals

• Links• Voice• Writing• Conversation

Possible formats• Brief• Video (w/ intro)• Photo gallery• List• Review• News story

• Promotion• Chart/graph/map• Q&A• Narrative• Poll• Curation

The blogging conversation• Crowdsource (specific questions: “Do you

know anyone who …?” “Did you see …?” “Has this ever happened to you?”)

• Consider ending post w/ question• Stimulate/continue conversation in social

media• Engage with comments

Keys to SEO• Relevance• Keywords in headline (what would you

search for?)• Keywords in story (best in 1st paragraph)• Understand how people are searching• Relevant links

Reporting with social media

Great for promotion, but also …• Great for reporting• Find story ideas• Crowdsource• Join the conversation (reply, retweet, ask

questions)• FB algorithm change hurts news brands

• Many more users• Much info private• Tougher to search• Not as immediate

(less frequent updates)

• Engage, don’t intrude

• Great for breaking news

• Great real-time search

• Engagement not as intrusive

• Hashtags help w/ search, conversation

Personal vs. professional use• Separate accounts OK but not necessary• Always behave professionally, even on

private accounts• Be personable on pro accounts• Presume future bosses will see all posts• Don’t bore pro audience

Options for journalists:• Use personal FB account, all or most

public• Journalist page• Personal account, enable subscriptions

(decide which updates are public)

• Connect w/ sources (balance, disclosure?)

• Check pages of agencies, people on beat• Crowdsourcing (ask on their pages as

well as yours)• Look for people in the news• Ask for permission to use photos

Why use Twitter?• It can save you time• It extends your reach• It’s an engaging, conversational tool• It’s great for connecting with people who

experience stories you write about

Bookmark this page

https://twitter.com/#!/search-advanced

Vetting tweeps, verifying info• Check full Twitter stream, profile• Connect on phone, in person• Check location (not 100% reliable)• Others verifying? Clusters, not echos• Photos? • Other sources, other tweeps• Ask, “How do you know that?”

Say what you don’t know

More on verificationCraig Silverman tips:

http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/eight_simple_rules_for_doing_a.php

Mandy Jenkins tips:http://zombiejournalism.com/2011/09/b-s-detection-for-journalists

/

Routine Twitter use• Follow people interested in your

topic(replies, retweets, check followers)

• Join topical conversation• Master Twitter search (advanced)• Find & promote topical #hashtags• Use Twitter routinely on your beat

Crowdsource

Crowdsource

• Growing swiftly• Users share (pin, re-pin) visual content• 80% of users are women• Heavy use for food, fashion, travel• Embeddable• How might you use?

• Effective curation of Sikh temple shooting

• Obama answered questions• Search at searchreddit.com

• Do agencies on beat post photos?• Search for keywords, photos• Invite people to contribute photos on

news stories• Connect w/ people posting photos• Seek permission (check conditions)• Give credit

• Do agencies, people on beat use?• Watch for public videos getting attention

(will often see links, mentions on Twitter)• Embed in stories, blogs

• “Mayor” is great source about an org or venue (employee or customer)

• See who has checked in for event or breaking news story

• Tips might provide questions for stories• Break story w/ Foursquare “shout”

• Connect with sources• Find new sources through connections,

groups• Discussions help find experts• Check updates, slides, travel• Search by location & keyword

• Important for search• Interview by video Hangouts• Find sources• Follow sources in Circles• Follow beat topics in Sparks

Niche tools

Social fame is fleeting

Launching your careerin digital journalism

Your job search is a story• Research online. Thoroughly• Work your connections• Nail the face-to-face interview• Be resourceful• Try multiple approaches• Never say no for someone else

Build your digital profile• Google yourself. What do you find?• Google+ profile• LinkedIn profile• Twitter, Facebook Timeline (movie)• About.me, Intersect• Blog (when did you last post?)• Personal site (“about me” or portfolio)

Build your experience• Student publications• Internships• Blog• Social media• Freelancing (stringer or one-shot)• Part-time jobs• Professional convention coverage

Network• Connect digitally w/ people you admire• Especially on Twitter• #wjchat, #spjchat, #dfmchat, etc.• Follow up (Twitter, email, handwritten)• Comment on blogs• IRL

Expand your search

“Every company is a media company now.”-- Jay Rosen

Show, don’t tell• Hyperlink résumé (but make sure it reads

well w/o links)• Don’t send hard copy by U.S. mail unless

asked• Video as part of résumé (you,

Xtranormal, Search Stories, FB Timeline)• Pitch through social media• Use new tools (Storify, Pinterest,

Intersect, Dipity, Timetoast)

Do your reporting• What does the job require?• Who does similar work? What are their

strengths? What are yours?• What strengths should you highlight?• What are you doing to address

weaknesses?• Research people you interview with

Little things are big things• Customize your résumé• Spell the prospective boss’s name right • Take initiative (can you schedule your

own interview?)• Include Twitter username on résumé

Interviews count, too• Prepare thoroughly• Listen effectively• Answer honestly• Ask tough questions• Don’t fake: “I don’t know” beats BS• Follow up

Follow up• Thank interviewer(s): email, card, tweet• Elaborate on answers (send link to story

you mentioned, etc.)• Send link(s) to notable new work• Send links (not just yours) they might like• Persistence is a job skill• Don’t overdo it

Read more• @stevebuttry• #cudigital • stevebuttry.wordpress.com (“career

advice” category)• Check links in today’s blog post• slideshare.net/stevebuttry• stephenbuttry@gmail.com

In job-hunting …

Don’t let obstacles become excuses