Get the viewer involved. Dedicate resources to social media. Future of news.
October 31, 2009
I woke up to snow this week. The forecasts for a fall snow storm had all been right. I settled in for a snow day with my boys and wondered if I’d be called in to work. It was the last day of my vacation time I’d taken to be off with the boys during their fall break. It was a day of pajamas, hot chocolate, games, cartoons, shoveling and running around in the snow.
It’s sometimes hard for me to turn off work, you know that internal switch where you can completely allow yourself to be in the moment instead of your mind wandering, wondering about life elsewhere. I knew it was crazy at the station. I could close my eyes and picture it all from the assignment board filled with ink, the second dry erase board that is only brought out during big news events also filled with ink, loud scanners, and all the voices talking loud enough to be heard over the constantly ringing phones. Since I started to Twitter from the news desk it’s been even harder for me to turn it off. Twitter is so… accessible!
I couldn’t resist for long before I logged into Twitter to catch up on how everyone was doing in the snow. Since people know that I Tweet the news, I figured that I’d have questions waiting for me and I was right. I explained I wasn’t at work, but still shared what the weather was like outside my house and ReTweeted updated from others. Then I saw it, @cbs4denver posted a Tweet saying the “social media team was on the streets to bring you the latest”.
I seriously can’t tell you how proud I was at that moment to see that Tweet! I have always said that I am lucky to work in a newsroom that understands the value of social media. I do all I can to help others understand what can be achieved by using social media. I’m not alone others in the newsroom work as I do to keep CBS4 News active on Twitter and facebook.
Then there it was the Social Media Team working to bring you live updates on Twitter, through a blog, updates with video and pictures on facebook!
The Social Media Team wasn’t the only place CBS4 News was interactive. Reporters were assigned to the Interactive Help Desk where they worked to answer questions submitted through instant chat from the CBS4 Denver Web site, Twitter, facebook, phone calls and emails.
The producers used YouReport Photos in by viewers during the newscast.
The weather wasn’t just reported by the news crews, but through viewers who used Skype to give weather reports from their homes or businesses, the Weather Skypers!
The end product was truly amazing to me, just a normal viewer on this day, looking to keep up to date on the storm, while devoting my time to having a snow day with my boys! As a journalist, I know this is definitely the way news should be done!
It’s sometimes hard for me to turn off work, you know that internal switch where you can completely allow yourself to be in the moment instead of your mind wandering, wondering about life elsewhere. I knew it was crazy at the station. I could close my eyes and picture it all from the assignment board filled with ink, the second dry erase board that is only brought out during big news events also filled with ink, loud scanners, and all the voices talking loud enough to be heard over the constantly ringing phones. Since I started to Twitter from the news desk it’s been even harder for me to turn it off. Twitter is so… accessible!
I couldn’t resist for long before I logged into Twitter to catch up on how everyone was doing in the snow. Since people know that I Tweet the news, I figured that I’d have questions waiting for me and I was right. I explained I wasn’t at work, but still shared what the weather was like outside my house and ReTweeted updated from others. Then I saw it, @cbs4denver posted a Tweet saying the “social media team was on the streets to bring you the latest”.
I seriously can’t tell you how proud I was at that moment to see that Tweet! I have always said that I am lucky to work in a newsroom that understands the value of social media. I do all I can to help others understand what can be achieved by using social media. I’m not alone others in the newsroom work as I do to keep CBS4 News active on Twitter and facebook.
Then there it was the Social Media Team working to bring you live updates on Twitter, through a blog, updates with video and pictures on facebook!
The Social Media Team wasn’t the only place CBS4 News was interactive. Reporters were assigned to the Interactive Help Desk where they worked to answer questions submitted through instant chat from the CBS4 Denver Web site, Twitter, facebook, phone calls and emails.
The producers used YouReport Photos in by viewers during the newscast.
The weather wasn’t just reported by the news crews, but through viewers who used Skype to give weather reports from their homes or businesses, the Weather Skypers!
The end product was truly amazing to me, just a normal viewer on this day, looking to keep up to date on the storm, while devoting my time to having a snow day with my boys! As a journalist, I know this is definitely the way news should be done!
Posted by Misty Montano. Posted In : Integrating Social Media
I am a Journalist using Social Technologies and Interactive Media to connect with news consumers. I am the Digital Content Manager at 9News in Denver, CO. Previously
I was an Assignment Editor at CBS4 News in Denver where I won my first Regional Emmy for my work and spent the first 10 years of my career. I truly grew up On the News Desk.
