Photo by Jeffrey Pierre
Maria Britos/Staff Writer
When Miami Herald journalist Jaqueline Charles traveled to Haiti to cover the 2010 earthquake disaster, she found herself stuck with no means of quick communications after her cellphone was unable to receive signals.
She then decided to turn to Twitter with little to no knowledge of how to use the site and began texting tweets of pictures and updates.
On Friday, March 21, the University chapter for the Society of Professional Journalists held their first annual “Listen, Learn, Connect” conference. The first invited speakers included Lori Todd, a social media manager for the Sun Sentinel and the Orlando Sentinel and Jaqueline Charles, a Caribbean correspondent for the Miami Herald.
The topic of discussion for the first panel was the use of social media in journalism and how to use it to a journalist’s advantage. The most talked about tool was Twitter, but other sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Google + were also discussed.
“When I’m trying to send a tweet, I’m always thinking about that somebody can grab that and put it into a story or turn it into a story,” said Jaqueline Charles from the Miami Herald about using Twitter.
The two journalists advised the audience that when using social media, especially as a journalist, one should have zero expectations of privacy.
Keeping a clean profile, away from posts that can seem controversial to any employer or even an audience, is an important tip that journalists should heed.
Todd, who manages the social media strategies for both the Sun Sentinel and the Orlando sentinel, turned to journalism after becoming the front page designer at the Miami Herald and has worked with print design since she was 14 years old.
Charles, who was recently Twitter verified, spoke about the importance of using social media as a promoting tool for stories.
Tweeting or posting on Facebook a direct link to the story on the newspaper website will not only bring more traffic, but will also build an audience and make a more credible reputation.
Professor Allan Richards, associate dean at the School of Journalism, asked Todd which social media account is encouraged and the most efficient for young journalists.
“You should try everything,” said Todd, “but you should find the one that works for you.”
Todd said that often times Twitter is the tool of choice for journalists, because it tends to be a “more natural fit,” she said.
Todd and Charles also advised students to stick to one account for each social media outlet.
When balancing personal and professional life on these sites, they recommended to keep a reasonable amount of personal information, but have more professional updates that will not bombard the audience.
Both panelists described their use of social media with personal and professional experiences.
“I treat Twitter as a professional tool,” said Charles. “Facebook is sort of where I go and vent, but still, you know, you have that responsibility for venting and know that somebody can go and [catch you].”
-bbc@fiusm.com