Twitter is a powerful tool for journalists who want to find sources, verify information, and amplify their stories. But how can you use it effectively and ethically? Here are some tips to help you get the most out of the platform.
Twitter has a built-in search function that lets you filter tweets by keywords, hashtags, accounts, locations, dates, and more. You can also use advanced operators to refine your queries, such as quotes for exact phrases, minus signs for excluding terms, and OR for combining keywords. For example, if you want to find sources who are talking about climate change in Australia, you could type "climate change" AND Australia -denial. You can also save your searches for future reference or set up alerts for new tweets that match your criteria.
1. Follow individuals, organizations, journalists, experts, and researchers in your field of interest. They often share valuable insights, research papers, and news updates. 2. Use Twitter's search function to look for keywords, hashtags, or topics related to the information you're seeking. You can filter results by "Latest" to find the most recent tweets. 3. Participate in Twitter chats related to your area of interest. These chats often involve experts and enthusiasts discussing relevant topics and sharing resources.
Once you find potential sources on Twitter, you need to establish contact and credibility. Don't just send a generic message asking for an interview or a comment. Instead, introduce yourself, explain your story angle, and show interest in their perspective. You can also follow them, like or retweet their posts, and join relevant conversations. Be transparent about your intentions and respect their privacy and consent. If they agree to talk to you, move the conversation to a more secure and reliable channel, such as email, phone, or encrypted messaging.
1. Organize the accounts you follow into lists based on topics or categories. This can help you streamline your feed and easily find relevant sources when needed. 2. Twitter's advanced search feature allows you to narrow down your search by specific criteria such as location, language, and date range. Experiment with different search queries to find the most relevant sources. 3. Interact with other users by retweeting, liking, and replying to their tweets. Building relationships with others in your field can lead to valuable source recommendations and collaborations.
It can be hard to get responses from potential sources unless you have a credible body of work for them to check out before the respond. If you don't have a link to past published work on your Twitter profile, that's the first thing I suggest. You need at least a few links to your published work so sources are more likely to trust you're legit and thoughtful about your storytelling. I don't usually DM anyone for a quote on social media until we've engaged publically and organically. You can reply and comment thoughtfully to their tweets and if they reply, that's a good open door to take the conversation to a DM and solicit a quote. It also doesn't hurt to name-drop if you have a mutual connection you're sure they'll recognize.
Twitter can be a valuable source of breaking news, eyewitness accounts, and expert opinions, but it can also be a breeding ground for misinformation, rumors, and hoaxes. Before you use any tweet as a source, you need to verify its accuracy, authenticity, and context. Some questions to ask yourself are: Who is the author and what is their reputation and affiliation? When and where was the tweet posted and does it match the timeline and location of the event? What is the source and evidence of the information and can it be corroborated by other sources? How does the tweet fit into the broader narrative and agenda of the issue?
1. Keep an eye on trending topics and hashtags relevant to your field. This can help you stay updated on the latest discussions and discoveries, as well as identify potential sources. 2. Set up alerts for specific keywords or hashtags using tools like TweetDeck or Hootsuite. This way, you'll be notified whenever relevant content is posted on Twitter.
Twitter can also help you showcase your sources and stories to your audience. You can use tools like Twitter Lists, Moments, and Threads to curate and organize tweets that are relevant to your topic, theme, or angle. You can also embed tweets in your articles or blog posts to add visual and interactive elements. However, make sure you follow the ethical and legal guidelines for using tweets as sources, such as giving proper attribution, obtaining permission, and respecting copyright.
Twitter can also help you stay on top of the latest trends, issues, and debates in your field or beat. You can use tools like Twitter Trends, Analytics, and Explore to discover what topics are popular, what hashtags are being used, and what influencers are saying. You can also use third-party tools like TweetDeck, Hootsuite, or BuzzSumo to monitor and analyze tweets by keywords, hashtags, or accounts. This can help you identify new angles, stories, or sources that you might otherwise miss.
I've mostly used RSS feeds over tools like Hootsuite or TweetDeck. Those tools are helpful for scheduling posts across social platforms, but to keep tabs on trends in the past, I've used a feed reader like Feedly instead. Most websites and apps at this point have feed integration and I usually customize different feeds based on different beats or niches. After you have a feed reader you can start aggregating the websites, blogs, or news sources you want to follow, and you can set up custom feeds and follow Twitter accounts right there in the feed reader. You can also set up feeds based on search terms in a way that's easier than setting up a bunch of individual Google alerts.
Twitter is constantly evolving and adding new features and functions. As a journalist, you need to keep learning and adapting to the changes and opportunities that the platform offers. You can follow accounts like @Twitter, @TwitterSupport, and @TwitterMedia to get updates and tips on how to use Twitter effectively. You can also join online communities and networks of journalists who use Twitter, such as @ONA, @GIJN, and @Poynter, to share experiences, best practices, and resources.
Relate any comment to a context and a probable motive. Checking not only the sources of claimed facts but also the wider narrative of the person stating them. Social media is not only a potential echo-chamber of false facts but also a revealing source of wider perspective. In behavioural science terms this can be understood as a deeply psychologically set reasoning of action (see Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour and most recently theory of goal pursuits). This also points to the realities of marketing and propaganda (see Yale/Hovland theory on that). Finally, this points to how people manage their own sense of angst (see Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance). In summary, reflect on source motives and not just source facts...