Unit G - Social Media

Question 1

How can you gain more information on a story using social media? (three)

Answer 1

• encourage readers to get involved and provide more info and photos
• engage with readers
• use contacts

Question 2

What must you be wary of when using social media to gain more information on a story? (five)

Answer 2

• use it wisely in terms of what you say and how you say it
• be careful when taking material from other people’s social media sites
• check facts
• always seek to verify information
• keep in mind that people posting on social media are generally not journalists

Question 3

What are three tips for story verification on social media?

Answer 3

1. remember material on social media is subject to copyright. Need permission to re-use.
2. Look for anything extraneous or ‘wrong’ in photos or videos you are considering using. ‘Properties’ attached of image or geo-tagging.
3. Look at poster’s profile - where do they claim to be? How new is their account? How many followers? Other social media?

Question 4

How can social media be used to promote stories?

Answer 4

Drives traffic to website.

Question 5

What must you keep in mind when using social media to promote stories?

Answer 5

• be straightforward with Tweets and postings
• beware of spamming the same story throughout the day
• don’t keep repeating message when promoting full story elsewhere
• post will quickly disappear from people’s streams

Question 6

How can you build up friends/likes/followers on social media when promoting stories?

Answer 6

By being interesting, relevant, and occasionally surprising.