The document provides tips for using social media and other online tools as part of research for journalism. It discusses popular social media sites, effective search techniques on Google and other search engines, and specialized search tools for finding people, background information, and documents online. The document also describes resources for staying up to date on the latest developments in online research methods for journalists.

1. Social Media as a
Research Tool
Margot Williams
NPR News Investigations
May 2012

2. Social Media
 Facebook
 Twitter
 LinkedIn
 Google+
 MySpace?
 bloggers
 Discussion boards, Forums, etc
 Dating sites? Classmates?

3. Back to Basics
 Go to trusted sources
 Do the research
 Ask the right questions
 Find the local angle
 Get there first
 Grab the documents
 Fact check

4. You are looking for ….?
 Contacts/Locations
 Friends & relations
 Co-workers & classmates
 Experts
 Eyewitnesses
 Name behind the handle
 Reality check
 Terrorists

5. Minnesota to Somalia: Shirwa Ahmed
America’s first known suicide bomber

7. Mohamoud Hassan

9. Ignored Puzzle Pieces of Knowledge
http://revolution.ansar1.info/?s=anwar

10. http://www.islamicaweb.com/
"I would throw myself in the ranks of the enemy until I would be certain that I could not come out alive. And here I am
dying on my bed. So may the eyes of the cowards never see sleep!" - Khalid bin al-Waleed

11. Accurint
DOB, misspelled name,
address Mr. & Mrs. Khan

14. Effective Google Searching
 Quote marks replace the + search tool
 Advanced search http://www.google.com/advanced_search
 Example: “Bradley Manning” site:facebook.com
 Translated search: it’s hard to find!
 Advanced News Search
http://www.google.com/news/advanced_news_search
 X Personalized results
 Google Dashboard https://www.google.com/dashboard/
 Google Gives Search a Refresh 3/15 WSJ

15. Social Media Search Engines
 Topsy (Twitter, Google+) http://topsy.com/
 SocialMention (many, 1 month only) http://socialmention.com/
 yoName http://www.yoname.com/
 Pipl http://www.pipl.com/
 IceRocket http://www.icerocket.com
 Snitch.name http://snitch.name
 Toddington International list
http://www.toddington.com/resources/
 DomainTools (whois) http://www.domaintools.com

17. WIRED.com 6 June 2010
Kevin Paulsen

18. Break down Wired story: Accurint

19. Break down Wired story: People search

21. Break down Wired Story: Phone search

22. Break down Wired story:
Facebook
 She said she became worried about
her nephew recently after he
disappeared from contact.
 Then Manning finally called Van
Alstyne collect on Saturday. He told
her that he was okay, but that he
couldn’t discuss what was going on,
Van Alstyne said.
 He then gave her his Facebook
password and asked her to post a
message on his behalf.
 The message reads: “Some of you
may have heard that I have been
arrested for disclosure of classified
information to unauthorized persons.
See CollateralMurder.com.”

23. Facebook search

24. Breakdown Wired story: if you could get to
Bradley’s Facebook page in time

25. Frontline did
 Bradley Manning's
Facebook Page
 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontlin
 “Rare visit to see my boyfriend Tyler
at his dormitory”
 “is going to Brandeis this long
weekend”

26. Beyond Facebook: is this the same man on OKCupid?

27. WIRED.com 10 June 2010

28. Adrian Lamo

29. Lamo, Mitnick, Paulsen

30. Boingboing.net 19 June 2010
“bradass87”

32. Found 30 relatives, friends,
colleagues

34. LinkedIn for Journalists session
 Next LinkedIn for Journalists training is Thursday, May 24th, 2012, at 9am PST/noon EST
 Sign up at the LinkedIn for Journalists group on the site
 Krista Canfield
 The session takes about 35 minutes and I'll stay on the line afterward to answer any additional questions you might have.
All you need for the call is to be logged into your own LinkedIn account and to follow along with me.
If you'd like to attend the Thursday, May 24th, 2012, at 9am PST/ noon EST, please comment below in the discussion
thread and I can send you the details for the call after you comment. I do have international dial in numbers so don't worry if
you're outside of the US. (Just let me know if you are in a country other than the one that's currently set as the location on
your LinkedIn Profile.)
*If you DON'T want to be notified every time someone signs up for this training session make sure you UNCHECK the box
that says, "Send me an email for each new comment" BEFORE you comment*
Feel free to spread the word to other members of the press/your editorial staff. The more the merrier. If they want to join us
for this session or a future session, share the LinkedIn for Journalists Group link with them: http://is.gd/U6v6SN ...and they'll
be accepted into the group so long as they are indeed professional journalists.
The tutorial and a free one year upgrade to LinkedIn Pro is available to all professional journalists and it's an offer we extend
across the board to all members of the media. The only way you can test drive the LinkedIn Pro account is to join either this
tutorial or a future session. We want to make sure you understand all the tools that become accessible to you before
upgrading your account and letting you fly solo.
In the meantime, check out some of the tips and tricks for journalists here: http://press.linkedin.com/understanding-linkedin/

35. LinkedIn Premium advanced search

36. Find people who formerly
worked at Google

37. Or former ballerinas (where are
they now?)

38. Or a person in Norway who is a former CIA operations
officer
(and send a message to him)

39. LinkedIn for Journalists offer

40. Back to Basics
 Go to trusted sources
 Do the research
 Ask the right questions
 Find the local angle
 Get there first
 Grab the documents
 Fact check

41. Web Research Updates
 Toddington International
http://www.toddington.com/resources/
 Gary Price
 InfoDocket http://infodocket.com/
 FullTextReports http://fulltextreports.com/
 PI Buzz (Tamara Thompson)
http://pibuzz.com/