Journalists still skeptical of Twitter, hear this
Tony Messenger
If you’re still a journalist, and still skeptical of what Twitter is all about, hear this. My colleague at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Tony Messenger, was interviewed by an ex-radio-guy-turned-blogger/podcaster about his use of Twitter as a reporter in the Missouri capital.
Tony addresses all your concerns: Do you have time for Twitter? Does it tip off competitors? Is it really journalism? Does it interfere with the other stuff you should be doing? Listen to the 20-minute interview, posted Monday on Steve Mays’ blog.
Tony’s a veteran reporter and covers Jefferson City for the Post-Dispatch. He writes a column for the paper, blogs regularly on our Political Fix blog, writes often — and Twitters @tonymess.
Download Tony Messenger on Twitter.
Here’s some highlights from the interview:
Tony’s first tweet was in Columbia, Mo., at the event in which then-candidate Joe Biden invited Missouri State Sen. Chuck Graham to “stand up, let the people see you,” before realizing that Graham uses a wheelchair. That story almost instantly became a worldwide news item.
“It helped me realize how in the nature of politics in particular is changing. It’s a 60-second type news cycle. The reporters were far behind the political consultants who were already realizing that this social networking stuff was important.”
On the audience: “I realized Twitter has a real application for the legislative coverage. Political junkies are addicts. They want the news and they want it now.”
On whether it’s journalism: “It’s good journalism and here’s why: Our readers have an appetite for this. They have an appetite for quick up to date news. They have an appetite for community…and they have an appetite for personalities. Twitter gives you all of those things — even more so than the blog does. The community builds themselves naturally.”
On building traffic to our site, interviewer Mays says: “I have read more on the Post-Dispatch web site more than I ever have before because I’ve watched you twittering.”
On the time it takes: “Twitter is an effective use of my time. I’m taking notes. A lot of times, my Twitter feed becomes my notes.”
On competition, Tony was concerned at first: “I think I’ve just gotten over it. We don’t compete as journalists the way that we used to. St. Louis Post-Dispatch readers aren’t the same as Kansas City Star readers…We’re no longer in this age of two newspaper towns…we’re in an atmosphere of news and news now.”
On priorities: “I consider it an important part of what I do as a reporter.”
Related Posts:
Comments
blog comments powered by Disqus
Kurt's Tweets- Realizing how woefully out of touch I have been with this part of the county. (@ Saint Louis Bread Company) http://4sq.com/5z5Bfh
- Just had my first Gmail phone call -- with my parents -- and the quality was fantastic. Wow. http://tcrn.ch/a8GndI
- Another day, another interview. Fingers crossed. (@ Saint Louis Bread Co) http://4sq.com/avGImL
- Helping my son learn the first 20 elements on the periodic table. Disturbed by how many more elements there are since I studied this stuff.
- Giving blood. (@ St. Martin's Episcopal Church) http://4sq.com/aiWuEk
View Comments on Journalists still skeptical of Twitter, hear this
[...] Journalists still skeptical of Twitter, Now Hear This [...]
[...] has gotten the Twitter bug spreading throughout the journalistic profession. Here’s another skeptic-turned-convert: “It’s good journalism and here’s why: Our readers have an appetite for this. They have an [...]
Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!