Daniel Victor, senior staff editor at The New York Times, prepared this presentation on using social media for reporting for New England NewsTrain on Oct. 14, 2017. It includes how to search Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for news and sources; monitor social media for story ideas; create a social dossier; contact a source on social media; use Twitter lists; use callouts to crowdsource; and verify user-generated content during breaking news. It is accompanied by a handout with the same title. NewsTrain is a training initiative of Associated Press Media Editors (APME). More info: http://bit.ly/NewsTrain

1. Using Social
Media as Powerful
Reporting Tools
@bydanielvictor
Photo Credit: DaveLawler via Compfight cc, bit.ly/1oLxbBb

2. What we’re going to learnBy*Nom&Malc
• Create a social
dossier.
• How to contact a
source.
• Use Twitter lists.
• Use callouts to
crowdsource.
• Verify social content
during breaking
news.
• Search Twitter and
LinkedIn for news and
sources.
• Monitor social media
for story ideas.

4. Source #1

5. Source #2

6. Source #3

7. Source #4

8. Source #5

9. Keywords
Orthodox, Hasidic, Chasidic, Jewish, Jew
Flight, plane
Sit, seat
and the most important ones…
Me, My, I.

10. Source #1

11. Source #2

12. Source #3

13. Source #4

14. Source #5

15. - Use words a witness is likely to use.
- Search for “my” “on” and “train” and
you might find:
What would a perfect source tweet?

16. - Use words a witness is likely to use.
- Search for “my” “on” and “train” and
you might find:
What would a perfect source tweet?

17. - Use words a witness is likely to use.
- Search for “my” “on” and “train” and
you might find:
What would a perfect source tweet?

18. - Use words a witness is likely to use.
- Search for “my” “on” and “train” and
you might find:
What would a perfect source tweet?

19. CREATE A SOCIAL DOSSIER
Chatter after Fort Lauderdale

20. LET’S TRY IT OUT
STALK ME!
facebook.com/danielvictor

21. REACHING OUT

22. MONITORING FOR NEWS
Nuzzel

23. MONITORING FOR NEWS
CrowdTangle

24. CALLOUTS

26. CALLOUTS

30. Simple. Creative. Engaging.
bit.ly/NYThaiku

31. Meaty investigations
http://bit.ly/patientsafe

32. CALLOUTS
Spread rumors.
Don’t:

33. CALLOUTS
Use general hashtags.
Don’t:

34. CALLOUTS
• Be specific about what you want
• Keep requests simple
• Explain how you will use
contributions
• Give incentives
• Cast a wide net and often
Do:

35. Using Google Forms
Everyone knows
how to use them.
Get detailed info.
People “opt in” to
become sources.
Why forms work

36. Feed your form into a map
mapalist.com

37. Lesson:
Verify,
verify,
verify.

38. VERIFY, VERIFY, VERIFY

43. Tip: Don’t
forget to
check
Snopes!

44. Let’s talk about Twitter Lists

45. To have a list is to have a plan

46. To have a list is to have a plan

47. To have a list is to have a plan

48. SPEND TIME
CREATING
LISTS
It’ll pay off. I promise.

49. TWEETDECKIt’s for more than just organizing all those great lists you made.
SEARCH
• Add column > search
• Exclude keywords
• Exclude retweets
• Signal high-performing
tweets
bit.ly/tdadvancedsearch

50. LET’S TRY IT OUT
1. Find a list created by someone else
that will be useful to follow.
2. Brainstorm a list you want to
create.
3. Identify a time you could have used
a list, but didn’t have one ready.This might help:
[keyword] site:twitter.com/*/lists
To copy a list to one of your own:
bit.ly/twlistcopy

51. TWITTER ADVANCED SEARCH
twitter.com/search-advanced

52. TWITTER-SEARCH OPERATORS
https://twitter.com/search-home

53. Facebook Search
bit.ly/advancedfbsearch

54. • LinkedIn for Journalists – join the
group.
• Premium service: free for journalists
who do a 50-minute webinar.
• Keep your profile current and robust so
potential sources can find you.

55. Have
fun and
try
things!
FINAL WORDS