There’s no denying that the face of journalism is ever-changing, especially with the advent of social media in the past five years or so. What was once considered a trendy fad for college students has migrated into the professional realm, with journalists and public relations professionals at the forefront.
One of the main uses for websites such as Twitter is to create a dialouge or conversation between journalists and their audiences. Not only can readers comment, blog and link to different articles that they find relevant, but moreover, can contribute a bit of themselves into the piece as a whole. This makes readers not only feel more involved, but additionally allows them to participate in the field of journalism – without even realizing it! Here are some ways to get your readers involved in the online conversation:
- Branding and promoting the site to attract readers
- Solicit content
- Moderate user content and dealing with reader problems
- Know your legal and ethical boundaries
Love it or hate it, it looks like social media is here to stay. So you might as well embrace the change, and hang on for the ride.
