My time as an Assignment Editor provided many stories on which I shared in my first blog.  While I'm no longer On the News Desk, the stories and lessons shouldn't be forgotten. 

Presentations

NFPA Social Media Toolkit and Campaign.pdf NFPA Social Media Toolkit and Campaign.pdf
Size : 1160.727 Kb
Type : pdf

Musings and thoughts

Showing Tag: " twitter" (Show all posts)

Follow the debate hashtags and social conversation

Posted by Misty Montano on Wednesday, October 3, 2012, In : Integrating Social Media 
"What is the hashtag?" This is one of the 1st questions event planners should ask, decide and push. It takes effort to make a hashtag stick. The only exception I've seen to this is the occasional big, breaking news story. In the end the users, specifically social influencers on Twitter, decide what the tag will be.

Tonight, and all of the debates, will be user-powered. The hashtag with the most use may or may not be the official tag determined by @UofDenver or @Gov.

I'm monitoring at least 1/2 ...

Continue reading ...
 

Do more then share comments during the news

Posted by Misty Montano on Tuesday, August 30, 2011, In : Integrating Social Media 


Each day I try to find social aspects of our stories.  The easiest thing to do is just post a question or comment about a story on Facebook and/or Twitter and let conversation ensue.  When I can or have the opportunity I’ll jump into the conversation and add responses either as myself or commenting as the station.

Those conversations are necessary to create relationships with people who will tu...


Continue reading ...
 

Journalists: social media is about moments

Posted by Misty Montano on Friday, July 29, 2011, In : Integrating Social Media 



To understand how to use social media you might want to forget you’re a journalist.  Then when you do use social media you need to remember you’re a journalist.  Make sense?

Here’s the deal.  We are trained to not share the story process or personal details of life.  We are trained not to give away the story until it’s on the web or on the air. 

Holding to this training while trying to do social media will just cause you to fail, and even resent it. 

Social media is not about the fina...

Continue reading ...
 

I've gone to the dark side: Marketing

Posted by Misty Montano on Wednesday, July 20, 2011, In : Integrating Social Media 



I have gone to the dark side. 
I sometimes wonder who I am.
I see numbers in my sleep.

Ask any journalist about his/her math skills and you’ll probably find yourself hearing some joke about becoming a journalist to avoid working with numbers.  Little did I know utilizing social media would put me smack in the middle of a bed of numbers. 

The numbers were on the wall long, long ago when I realized I had branded myself by accident by using Twitter as a journalist.  Every time I speak to stu...

Continue reading ...
 

Working to define, not be defined

Posted by Misty Montano on Monday, June 20, 2011, In : Integrating Social Media 


Almost three months have passed since I last wrote and announced my decision to leave CBS4 News after 10 1/2 years On the News Desk.

I’ve been waiting for my feet to find steady ground.  I’ve been finding my new place and how exactly I fit.  I’ve been too exhausted at the end of the day to write.

I have composed many blogs in my mind and seriously need to start recording my thoughts so they aren’t lost!

My personal blog has been just as neglected, which is truly sad because I had pla...


Continue reading ...
 

Stalk the competition

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, April 3, 2010, In : Integrating Social Media 
Hand in hand with my previous blog goes this post. Just as you need to be aware of what’s being said about you/your name/brand/company, you should know what’s being said about your competition and what your competition is saying. At the very least you should know how your competition is using the same social networks as you are so you can improve your own use, or expand to another network.

I’m a journalist so my competition is other journalists, traditional and citizen, and media outlets...
Continue reading ...
 

If you're willing collaborative journalism is easy and rewarding

Posted by Misty Montano on Friday, January 8, 2010, In : Integrating Social Media 
Media organizations have partnered for as long as I can remember. CBS4 News used to partner with The Rocky Mountain News before it closed. Now the station partners with The Denver Business Journal. KUSA and KMGH also partner with local print organizations. There are various partnerships with local radio stations as well. These partnerships will continue but need to go beyond media organization to media organization.

Collaboration is a term being used more these days to describe a wide variety ...
Continue reading ...
 

Bad journalism and bad Twitter critique frustrates me

Posted by Misty Montano on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, In : Integrating Social Media 
By now I believe my social media mantra is clear. Be smart. If you choose to use social media in any capacity know why, know your purpose and be smart in all you do. I need to extend my “be smart” advice to media that decides to critique social media use.

Saturday morning while curled up under a blanket on the couch and sipping a mug of coffee I scrolled through Twitter on my cell phone.  I saw a Tweet from @DaveWebb that said The Colorado Independent had called out The Denver Post for its...
Continue reading ...
 

Use social media, but don't give away your competitive edge.

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, November 14, 2009, In : Integrating Social Media 
I’ve made it obvious that I believe traditional media should use social media. I advocate knowing why you’re using social networks, have goals and have strategies to reach those goals. So I find myself a little surprised at the thoughts that went through my head this afternoon. Is it possible to tweet too much?

If you’re giving away your competitive edge, yes you can tweet too much.

When I share what’s happening for me on the news desk and in the newsroom I am always aware that I have...
Continue reading ...
 

Get the viewer involved. Dedicate resources to social media. Future of news.

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, October 31, 2009, In : Integrating Social Media 
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 th...
Continue reading ...
 

Creating relationships on Twitter is not bad; it's good

Posted by Misty Montano on Thursday, September 24, 2009, In : Twitter 
I am often asked how a journalist can use Twitter, facebook or other social media networks while walking the line of being unbiased, yet personable. To me the answer is simple. Be smart when you use these networks

When I share my experiences on the news desk I always make the source of the information clear. I never give an opinion on a story or hot button issues like politics and religion. However I am always me. I let my personality come out and I share some aspects of my personal life, like...
Continue reading ...
 

Being scooped on Twitter then out-scooping on Twitter

Posted by Misty Montano on Wednesday, August 26, 2009, In : Integrating Social Media 

When you have decided to use Twitter or other Social Media tools in your news organization you need to use them as one in your strategic news plan. If you have a lead on a story and are willing to post the new information on your Web site, post it also on all Social Media platforms you are using. Don’t just break the news on only one tool. Even worse don’t fully share the information on one platform, but only tease on another.

On August 12 all media outlets in Denver were following a devel...


Continue reading ...
 

Iran election coverage develops at a local station level

Posted by Misty Montano on Tuesday, June 23, 2009, In : Integrating Social Media 

It’s been over a week since I spoke at NPPA Convergence on using social media in the newsroom.  So much happened I needed time to organize my thoughts before writing out my thoughts.  Sometime before I started speaking on a panel Saturday, June 13 I saw a post on Twitter regarding the Iran Electionsand the protests that were just beginning.  Honestly, my first instinct was that of a journalist, “this is going to be a big story.” 

 

To be even more honest, after the conferenc...


Continue reading ...
 

What do you want from a journalist using Twitter?

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Integrating Social Media 
UPDATE Friday, May 29th:

It's official I will be speaking at a social media seminar during the NPPA Convergence in Las Vegas in a couple of weeks. Then I will moderate a panel discussion on social media. So I need help/advice. Those who attend are journalists wanting to know how to use social media. Some may already utilize social media, but others may not.

I'm asking you: what do you want from your local journalist or news organization using social media?

This is a whole new field for many of u...
Continue reading ...
 

I kept a SECRET from Twitter

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Twitter 
As I opened this new post I started to monitor a fire west of the station, over 20-minutes away, in Jefferson County. I entered the title and stopped writing to focus on the fire. I checked all sources that could possibly also be monitoring the fire and found none. Not knowing if I'm the only assignment editor in the city listening to the fire, I had to decide what, if anything, to post on Twitter. I chose to post nothing at first.

This was the right decision. For less than ten minutes I liste...
Continue reading ...
 
« Back to posts
 

About Me


Misty Montano 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.