Getting SocialGetting SocialSocial media in the Courtroom
Laura Click, Public Information Officer
Tennessee Supreme Court
What is social media?What is social media?
Internet applications used to
communicate & interact
Social media is…
Today let’s focus on…Today let’s focus on…
Why is social media important?
Social networks are now the 4th most popular online activity…
It’s now ahead of personal e-mail
Why is social media important?
>More than 325 million people use Facebook,
which is greater than the entire U.S. population.
AllFacebook, November 2009
Why is social media important?
There are more than 185 million blogs worldwide,
>but only 10,000 newspapers worldwide.
Why is social media important?
More than 21 million use Twitter,
>which is greater than the entire population of Florida
Why is social media important?
The number of Twitter users increased 1,928 percent since last year
Nielsen, June 2009
Why is social media important?
Every minute, 20 hours of video
is uploaded on YouTube
Why is social media important?
Every day, 46 million videos are downloaded on YouTube
Meanwhile…
U.S. Newspaper circulation is down 10 percent since last year
Audit Bureau of Circulations, New York Times, Oct. 2009
Why should courts care?Why should courts care?
PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT YOU
ONLINE!
Attorneys are talking about you…
Reporters are talking about you…Reporters are talking about you…
Reporters are Reporters are talking about your trials..talking about your trials..
People are talking about your trials…
Why should courts engage Why should courts engage in social media?in social media?
• Media monitoring
• Media relations
• Brand preservation
• Transparency
• Education
• Awareness
• Access
Why Government Should Why Government Should Participate in Social MediaParticipate in Social Media
• According to PR pros & journalists…– @JGoldsborough Help people better
understand their story, the issues and get answers to the many questions that are out there.
– @cassie_holman Important for gov’t organizations to be reachable. Govt can use SM like any business would. Inform, connect, converse, listen, crisis communication.
How would the media like the How would the media like the courts to use Twitter?courts to use Twitter?
• @christnemaddela: (twitter is a) great way to build sources, get ideas, stay in contact instantly
Courts on TwitterCourts on Twitter
• DC Courts: @DCCourtsInfo
• Fulton Superior Court: @FultonCourtInfo
• Illinois Courts: @illinoiscourts
• Las Vegas Courts: @lvcourts
• Michigan Courts: @CourtInfo
• New Jersey Courts: @njcourts
• New Hampshire Courts: @NHCourts
• Philadelphia Courts: @PhilaCourts
• Tennessee Courts: @TNCourts
Courts on FacebookCourts on Facebook
• New Jersey Courts• Clark County Courts
(Las Vegas)• Orange County Cler
k of Courts• Superior Court of Fu
lton County
Courts on YouTubeCourts on YouTube
• Indiana Supreme Court
• New Jersey Courts
Ways to Use Social MediaWays to Use Social Media
• Distribute press releases • Share reminders about scheduling (i.e.
start times, recess, etc.)• Post links to case materials & resources• Post dockets• Courtroom updates• Answer questions• Share educational videos about the courts
Monitoring ToolsMonitoring Tools
• Twitter search
• Tweet Beep
• Desktop applications – Seesmic– TweetDeck– Hootsuite
• Twitter lists
Social Media Pitfalls
• Spam
• Hackers
• Advertising
• Archiving
• Varying degrees of professionalism
Archiving Tools
• RSS Feeds
• TweetScan
• BackUpMyTweets
• TweetBackup
Articles & Resources
Social Media• Social Media Crashes The Courtroom• Government 2.0: How Social Media Could Transform Gov PR• Debunking Five Social Media Myths • CCPIO New Media Project
Articles & Resources
Twitter• Using Twitter for Business• Twitter 101 for Business• Who Needs Cameras? Judges Allow Twitter in the Courtroom• Colorado Judge Allows Twitter In Courtroom • 4 Ways News Organizations are Using Twitter Lists• How To Be Productive With twitter In Just 60 Minutes A Week
Articles & Resources
Facebook• 5 Elements of a Successful Facebook Fan Page• New Facebook Pages: A Guide for Social Media Marketers
Other• Using Google Trends to measure the effectiveness of crisis commu
nications
