Life As A Journalist Via Twitter

Twitter provides the audience with an insight into life as a journalist on the road, according to one political correspondent.

John Dickerson from Slate has outlined his thoughts on the microblogging platform and asserted that Twitter shows ordinary readers what it’s like to cover a major political campaign.

Writing in Nieman Reports, Dickerson also claimed that Twitter has become the “perfect place” for the assortment of scribbled notes and little observations that would never make a full write-up.

He said: “Sometimes these snippets are too off-topic or too inconsequential to work into a story.

“Sometimes they are the little notions or sideways thoughts that become the lede of a piece or the kicker.

“All of them now have found a home on Twitter.”

In his article Don’t Fear Twitter, Dickerson also pointed out that Twitter is a very effective tool for delivering breaking news and can help create a community of readers.

However, Slate’s chief political correspondent concluded his piece with a word of warning.

“Twitter is not the next great thing in journalism. No one should try to make Twitter do more than it can and no reader should expect too much from a 140-character entry.”