Twitter As A “Powerful Reporting Tool”

A screencast showing how journalists can get the most out of Twitter has been uploaded by a new media blogger.

BeatBlogging.org editor Patrick Thornton has produced the first part of a step-by-step video guide designed to show how Twitter can be used as a “powerful reporting tool”.



Thornton, who tweets as the Journalism Iconoclast, demonstrates some of the basics of setting up a Twitter account via the screencast and provides advice on creating profiles and getting started.

He also shows examples of two Twitter APIs – the desktop client TweetDeck and search.twitter.com, which enables journalists to monitor their beat in real-time.

Thornton adds that the search facility is particularly useful for reporters as they can set up subject-specific feeds which will then update continuously with tweets containing the requested terms.

Check out Beatblogging.org in the future for the next screencast in the series, which will look at how journalists can encourage Twitterers to follow their account.


Part of Jay Rosen’s NewAssignment.net project, BeatBlogging.org explores how reporters can use social media to enhance their work.

[HT - Journerdism.com]