Blogging and social media

Using interactive tools tore-establish community

Why is circulation waning?

• The Internet? No. Local papers are harmed far less than national and metro papers.

Why is circulation waning?

• The recession? No. Huge effect on advertising, but little effect on readership.

Why is circulation waning?

• Loss of community ties. As Robert Putnam writes in “Bowling Alone,” inactive citizens don’t read newspapers.

Social media can help

• Reach readers where they are instead of forcing them to come to you

Social media can help

• Reach readers where they are instead of forcing them to come to you

• Power of virtual community can be combined with geographic community

Social media can help

• Story comments

Social media can help

• Story comments• Blogging (with

comments)

Social media can help

• Story comments• Blogging (with

comments)• Facebook

Social media can help

• Story comments• Blogging (with

comments)• Facebook• Twitter

Social media can help

• Story comments• Blogging (with

comments)• Facebook• Twitter• Flickr

Social media can help

• Story comments• Blogging (with

comments)• Facebook• Twitter• Flickr• YouTube

Comments and blogging

• An opportunity to interact with your most committed readers

Comments and blogging

• An opportunity to interact with your most committed readers

• Despite time constraints, your participation is key

Comments and blogging

• An opportunity to interact with your most committed readers

• Despite time constraints, your participation is key

• Crowdsourcing

Facebook for journalists

• Some of your readers are on Facebook all the time

Facebook for journalists

• Some of your readers are on Facebook all the time

• Better technology than you can offer

Facebook for journalists

• Some of your readers are on Facebook all the time

• Better technology than you can offer

• Readers can interact with you and each other

The Tao of Twitter

• Don’t just replicate your RSS feed

The Tao of Twitter

• Don’t just replicate your RSS feed• Don’t merely talk at your “followers”

The Tao of Twitter

• Don’t just replicate your RSS feed• Don’t merely talk at your “followers”• Don’t speak in your institutional voice

The Tao of Twitter

• Do offer something different

The Tao of Twitter

• Do offer something different• Do follow as well as be followed

The Tao of Twitter

• Do offer something different• Do follow as well as be followed• Do cultivate a unique voice

Reader photo submissions

• Good: The Salem News asks readers to send in summer photos in the middle of winter

Reader photo submissions

• Better: WBUR forms a self-sustaining photo community on Flickr, a social-media site

In house vs. social networks

• More ways to be discovered

In house vs. social networks

• More ways to be discovered• Your website should be a hub

In house vs. social networks

• More ways to be discovered• Your website should be a hub• Take advantage of free, easy-to-use tools

Promote relentlessly

• Goal is to have an engaged community taking part in print and online

Promote relentlessly

• Goal is to have an engaged community taking part in print and online

• Most readers are barely aware their local paper has an online presence

Promote relentlessly

• Goal is to have an engaged community taking part in print and online

• Most readers are barely aware their local paper has an online presence

• Use your print edition to flog your online activities, every week or every day

#1 rule of social networking

#1 rule of social networking

• Have fun — there are no experts, only ideas

(cc) By Dan KennedyFebruary 6, 2009

Some rights reserved(creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us)

Northeastern University