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“Social Media for Journalists” recap: Fall 2019

Here’s some skills and knowledge I hope you left this class with

Knowledge/Skill area How we did it Why it matters

1 History + Evolution of Social • 2 x lectures at start of term (History and Evolution, Core context for everything we’ve
+ Impact on Journalistic Practice) covered.

• Preso: Social Video (Week 2, 10/10) Everything from stats and growth of
platforms, through to the importance of
• Societal impact preso (Week 10) authenticity, telling stories differently
depending on the platform and being
• What’s next preso (Week 10) able to recognize what makes for good
content.

2 Understanding of how • Guest Speakers Core context for everything we’ve


journalists currently use social covered..
media • Interview a Journalist assignment
Show breadth of roles and possibilities.
• Impact of Northwestern apology + Aaron Calvin’s
story for the Des Moines Register on Carson King

• In class discussion on social media verification


(videos from BBC Africa + Storyful)

3 Use new apps/tools/platforms • Scavenger Hunt Most journalists are self-taught in social,
(going live, making GIFs and more) and have to be to stay up to date.

• Instagram Stories e.g. Canva, mojo, unfold, Chroma These assignments aimed to introduce
stories + others you to new tools, which you can
continue to learn + use in your own time.
• Hootsuite
4 Awareness of new • NewsWhip Important to understand the range of
apps/tools/platforms tools out there and how they can impact
• Crowdtangle on what you do + how and why you do it.

• Hootsuite Includes new products from BuzzFeed,


NBC (Left Field) and Bloomberg + social
• I also highlighted Newsletters, Nuzzel and AllTop in video and why it matters (and how it’s
class (10/24). not TV on the internet).

• BuzzFeed’s AM2DM and Bloomberg’s TicToc

• Group presos: Twitch, Reddit, TikTok and YouTube

• TinEye (10/21)

5 Industry recognized • HootSuite Platform Certification #Humblebrag for your resume.


certification • Facebook for Journalists certification
• CrowdTangle for Journalists certification

6 Knowledge of – and • Analytics/Monitoring (Crowdtangle, NewsWhip) Knowing that you can talk about these
demonstratable use – of trends in job apps, interviews etc. and be
emerging skill areas • Social Media Management (Hootsuite) able to demonstrate your work in this
space and/or explain why they matter -
• Social Media planning (Ghosts of Highway 20) and how an organization might use these
tools and techniques – may give you an
• Instagram Stories (fastest growing format!) edge over other applicants.

• Emerging Platforms (Group work)

• Weekly Twitter threads

• Social Media verification skills

• Use of Medium

• Industry Reading / LInkedIn


7 Social Media informed • Social Media Storytelling feature Chance to “go deep” into a topic and use
reporting social to inform it.
• Instagram Stories (esp. desk based)
You used – and developed – skills in
• Scavenger Hunt emerging forms of journalistic
storytelling.
• Live tweeting (Ashley Alvarado)

• Weekly Twitter threads

8 Portfolio development • LinkedIn profile development When it comes to getting hired,


presenting your work to prospective
• Certifications – Hootsuite, Facebook, Crowdtangle employers matters!

Also understanding the importance and


potential impact (both good and bad) of
your digital footprint.

9 Pitching + Discussing Ideas • Social Media-led story assignment You will do this every day with your
• Group presentations Editor and peers.
• Critiquing your IG Stories
• Northwestern + Des Moines Register
• Fox, MSNBC, Axios and BBC - impeachment

10 Critical Thinking • Weekly Twitter threads Being able to express what you like /
• Group exercise (Story of the Week) don’t like, what you would change + why.
• Group presos incl. recommendations
Ability to digest learning/reading.
• Discussions with guests speakers
• Observation Exercise (First Draft) You’ll do this in newsrooms and
• Digesting lessons from lectures/presos interviews, just as people will critique
• BuzzFeed AM2DM your work, you must be able to critique
• Social Video – esp. NBC Left Field theirs!
• Story of the Week (Impeachment, looking at Fox,
MSNBC, Axios and BBC News)

11 Working in Groups/Pairs • Scavenger Hunt (pairs) A lot of newsroom and agency work is
• Instagram Stories (pairs) collaborative. You have to work with
• Emerging Platform analysis different people and seldom get to
choose who.

12 Building your network • Interview a Journalist


• Each other

External Guest Speakers:


1. Polly Irungu, WNYC
2. Sutton Raphael, NBC Left Field
3. Jessie Rae Price, iHeartMedia, E!
4. Andrea Gardner, Professional Bull Riders
Association
5. Katherine Ellis, NewsWhip
6. Aimee Rinehart, First Draft
7. Ashley Alvarado, Southern California Public
Radio
8. Esra Dogramaci, Digital Consultant
9. Robin Jill Monheit, Facebook

13 Getting out of your comfort • Producing work in the field e.g. interviewing people Important for personal and professional
zone for Scavenger Hunt. development to be constantly pushing
yourself. Sometimes, you need a bit of a
• Working with new people. nudge. Other times, this will be self-
driven.
• Working with new apps/tools.

• Pitching and Presenting

• Doing this against the clock.


14 Appreciation of change – • Discussions with guests. Change in this space is constant. You
organizational culture, shifting have to understand, accept and embrace
business dynamics and • Industry reading. that to prosper.
audience preferences
• In class lectures/presentations

15 Industry knowledge • Weekly Industry reading. Expected in newsroom meetings and


interviews.
• Discussions about roles, job search, portfolios etc.
with guest speakers. (Discussion / sharing of Texas Know you can do this with confidence
Tribune and Viral News Reporter job ads -do look at
others) Help you understand what type of roles
and opportunities are out there (and
• Guests also working in different size outlets and what might be a good fit for you).
platforms (start-up, radio, newspaper, TV etc.)

16 What did I miss?

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