Journalism has come under fire in the past few years. The public have begun questioning not only journalism itself, but specific journalists about their reporting process, practices and motives when pursuing a story. Transparency is something that audiences expect from journalism, especially as people are criticizing the media’s objectivity and independence.

Social media is one of the best ways journalists can give their audience a look into their reporting. Most people do not understand what goes into a story and the basic functions within a newsroom. Using a platform like social media to display transparency can be effective because of what we know about audience engagement. You cannot count on viewers to consume content the same way. While some people might watch the morning television news, others might scroll through social media or listen to the radio to get updated. 

So, how do you do this? One article states that you can develop a list of questions based on what your readers have already asked you and what you wish they knew when they consume your content. These questions can include where a story idea from a specific piece came from. How did you get your story idea? How did you find your sources? You can also give them some perspective on your decision making process. What was significant about your word choice? Why did you choose the photos you did? These are the kinds of questions engaged readers want to know. Social media is a place where you can add value to your story while also intriguing readers to look at your original piece.

A practical tip to achieve this: You can show some of your news gathering processes on different platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter to reach various audiences. By displaying transparency, you can begin to build trust with your audience. Try posting your reporting process or hosting question and answer sessions on the “story” function of various social media apps. This allows you to update your viewers in real time while also bridging the gap between the viewer and the people behind the story.