Social media is an ever-changing forum. The various algorithms, sponsored posts and, more recently, the emergence of platforms like TikTok have all been hot topics in the past few years. Considering how quickly social media evolves over time, many experts have commented on the direction social media is going in the future. 

This year, the video-sharing app TikTok began featuring marketing campaigns. This comes as advertisers are realizing the marketing potential the app’s audience has in gender, age and location location targeted advertising. With emerging social media platforms also taking on the same level of advertising as more established platforms like Facebook and Instagram, some experts believe advertising will become more regulated.

Advertisers used social media influencers to push their products as a form of native advertising, which is less intrusive than pop-up ads other forms of advertising. However, experts believe consumers are wanting more transparency in influencer ads, leading to a future with more governmental regulations from the Federal Trade Commission about transparency in labeling sponsored content.

Others believe that social media is currently moving towards search algorithms that lead the user to other forms of content. This means that while users are on a platform, they are encountering various related content, which experts say is a move bringing users to more diverse sources. So, what does this mean for journalism? People are accessing news and other content through various platforms like social media and other outlets, which diversifies the viewpoints the user is exposed to. 

For now, it seems that everyone is at the mercy of decisions the CEOs and other officials behind these social media companies make. With these predicted changes in mind, both journalists and everyday users of social media will adapt and take on new challenges. 

Throughout this series, I have mainly focused on the positive effect social media has had on journalism. However, experts conclude there are potential drawbacks to social media use in general. Institutions like the National Center for Biotechnology Information released a study in 2014 stating that prolonged social media use can lead to depression.

For journalists, social media can also lead to unwarranted criticism and other forms of bullying through direct messages and public comments on social media apps. The reality is that social media has not been entirely beneficial to users despite its claims towards increased connectedness.

An infamous part of Facebook’s history is the lack of content filtering that made fictitious news stories able to spread across the platform. What we now refer to as “fake news” is an example of the downfall of social media within journalism. In 2017, 45% of American adults used Facebook as a news source, according to Pew Research Center. While much of the population is relying on social media platforms for news, people are also becoming more critical of the news they see on social media in light of false stories. Journalists have adapted to the public’s awareness of journalistic accuracy in storytelling and have showed greater transparency in their reporting processes. While transparency is important, fake news has contributed to the public’s distrust of media in general and has led many reporters to defend their reporting when they otherwise would not have needed to. 

Other ways social media has been changing journalists’ reporting practices is in how they interact with their audience on social media. In 2018, The Atlantic fired journalist Kevin Willamson for his past tweets about abortion. This incident and many other similar situations has led social media users and journalists alike to pause before sharing on social media platforms. Newsrooms like The New York Times have issued social media guidelines for journalists. The Times’ guidelines emphasized the importance of its reporters avoiding expressing partisan viewpoints on issues the publication covers.

With phenomenons like fake news, social media has forever changed the face of journalism. Reporters have adapted, however, to make journalism accessible and accurate to the public.

One of the TODAY show’s biggest forms of engagement comes from social media. They post content related to the stories and topics they discuss on the show on its Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. The daily television show also has a newsletter with topics ranging from parenting to “stuff we love.” 

What makes the show most unique in garnering interaction with its viewers is how they integrate social media into the show. In 2013, the NBC affiliate relaunched its graphics to focus on audience engagement through social media. They added sets like the Orange Room, where screens project trending topics on social media, as well as viewer photos from Twitter and other social platforms. The show also developed the Hashtag Battle, where they display real-time updates from viewers on questions they pose during the show.

In one example of the TODAY show’s Hashtag Battle, hosts Hoda Kotb and Kathy Lee Gifford pose a question about whether parents should be allowed to take their kids out of school for fun activities. They told viewers to tweet their opinion and use the hashtag #TeamHoda or #TeamKLG. In the studio, they had a machine that dispensed wine into glasses when viewers tweeted using either hashtag. The result was a live representation of viewer engagement through a lighthearted and fun means. It was just one way they have embedded social media into the fabric of the show.

The TODAY show also uses platforms like Instagram to interact with its audience. In the captions, they use a personal voice and discuss topics that Instagram users might be most interested in. They also post behind-the-scenes like showing the New York festivities near the studio. 

Not only has the show changed its content with social media in mind, many of the segments are driven by social media. These are just some examples of how news organizations are adapting to the changing landscape in journalism.

This week I want to examine Katie Couric’s social media presence as a journalist and TV personality. She worked with top television networks like CNN, NBC and CBS throughout her career before moving to web-based projects. She created Katie Couric Media in 2015, and now works with National Geographic on her YouTube channel and Yahoo! as a Global News Anchor.

What I found most interesting about her social media is the number of platforms she is active on. She uses the journalist’s standard platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, but she is also on YouTube and Pinterest. The voice in her Instagram captions, tweets and Facebook posts shine through in a conversational way that is uniquely Couric. She has utilized social media so successfully that she received a Shorty Award in 2016 that honored “the best of social media and digital.”

Her Pinterest gives viewers an inside look at her life and personal taste. She has various “boards” with topics ranging from the people she admires in life, her work with Yahoo! News, music she loves and parenting. Even though this platform only allows users to post images with links and captions, Couric uses it in a way that categorizes her life and the things she enjoys, which gives her audience an inside look at her personality and life within her career.

Another interesting aspect of her social media presence is her YouTube channel. She uses the platform to promote cancer advocacy and show viewers full interviews from Yahoo! News. She partnered up with National Geographic to create a series called “America Inside Out,” which explores subjects relevant to the country and “Gender Revolution,” which shows how ideas of gender have changed. Like the rest of her social media, her channel brings together her personal life and career in ways that invite viewers to enjoy her personality and trust her authority as a journalist.

This week I am going to look at the social media habits of journalist and CBS correspondent David Begnaud. He is based in New York and works as the lead national correspondent for CBS This Morning. One of his most notable assignments was his coverage of Hurricane Maria that struck Puerto Rico. I am going to assess how he uses multiple platforms like Instagram and Twitter.

Begnaud uses Instagram to post about news around the world and his personal life. Recently, he posted about the uprisings in Chile and shared a clip of police abuse caught on camera. Interestingly, he also uses the platform to repost his own tweets. Begnaud has more followers on Twitter than Instagram, so perhaps this is his way of guiding his audience on Instagram to his Twitter page and vice versa. This article states that journalists can successfully use Instagram when they choose their images carefully, use the right hashtags and experiment with Instagram Stories. Begnaud does all of these things; his feed is filled with news footage, a few screen captures of his tweets and a few snapshots of his life. He used the hashtag, #lamarchamasgrandedechile for his post about the crowds gathering in the streets in Chile.

On Twitter, he focuses more solely on news content, but he does still post about his personal life. A handful of his posts are the same as those on his Instagram, but he posts mostly platform specific content on both social media sites. He uses his Twitter to post updates and news from around the world with photos, videos and stand-alone text. Begnaud uses tactics similar to this article’s suggestions for Twitter, including using the platform to publish breaking news as it happens and using social media to curate a brand.

There seems to be a dilemma in journalism and related fields. Not only is there a high number of layoffs for those in journalism and public relations jobs, the rate doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. At the same time, data suggests that these jobs aren’t disappearing — they’re just changing their title. 

Jobs labeled around “content” and “social media” are on the rise, which seem to be replacing the standard “reporter” job description. The change in journalism has created positions like social media managers, content writers and multimedia journalists.

Technology has developed into a world where social media is a daily facet of life. In response, the field of journalism has shifted. Today, social media sites like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook can drive journalism. This shows that social media is not only changing how journalists share stories, but that industry-wide changes are happening that involve public relations, communications and other fields. 

These changes might also reflect the shifting demands on journalists to do more than just report. In many newsrooms, journalists need to manage social media, newsroom analytics, understand website production and report, among other tasks. The trend for journalists to learn coding and other computer science based skills is arguably most present in data-centered journalists. The same can be said for the relatively recent jobs journalists have begun in social media. This can include jobs that interpret analytics of various social media platforms, content creation and management. 

These shifts in journalism towards social media shows that while the face of the industry has changed, the essential skills and knowledge it takes to succeed in the field are still the same. 

It is no secret that journalists love social media — Twitter, to be specific. In fact, journalists made up a quarter of the verified users on the platform in 2015. From a journalist’s perspective, the appeal is obvious. The content on Twitter is on 24/7, it has a news centric focus and houses consumers and leaders all in one social platform.

In light of how journalist friendly Twitter can be, journalists have almost become the Instagram influencers of Twitter. They tweet, retweet, #GoLive and engage with their followers. 

Below I will break down the habits successful journalists have when using Twitter:

1. They don’t just share their own stories. Nothing is more unappealing than loading someone’s page on Twitter to see a minefield of links. For a reader, there is nothing visually interesting or engaging about that. Make sure you share your stories and others that peak your interest, but remember to give people a reason to follow your social media rather than just read your articles. Add value to the conversation.
2. Tell your audience important information that didn’t fit into your story. Not only does this show some transparency in how the news cycle works, it also allows you to communicate with your readers in a more meaningful way. This goes back to making your social media presence different than any other work you do. Giving your audience insight into your reporting builds trust and interest, and both of those qualities are more important than ever on social media today.
3. Engage with your followers by tweeting and DMing them back. Show your readership you care! After all, is your work really worth it if nobody sees it? Your audience is a driving factor of every story, so reward them for following you by reading and engaging with their comments. This can make your followers more loyal and trusting of you and give them insight into your personality. 

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.

Curious about how many people have seen your latest social media post? Metrics can help. Wondering when the best time to publish a story is? Metrics can help. Since the internet and social media have become a daily part of journalism, web analytics have become essential to fully understanding the audiences your content is connecting with.

Web analytics are tools you can use to measure user behavior on websites, social media platforms and more. This translates into pageviews, unique users, social media engagement and performance over multiple social media platforms, among others. 

Journalists can use web analytics to determine the user traffic for stories, how they can promote a story more effectively to their audience and which stories are getting the most engagement. While the data you get from web analytics need context, it is a valuable tool for newsrooms and journalists alike.

Part of the work I do with KBIA as production assistant involves capturing social media content for “Radio Friends with Paul Pepper.” The social media team uses analytics to determine the content viewers are engaging with the most. This helps me capture behind-the-scenes moments from the show that I know viewers enjoy the most based off the metrics from past social media posts. 

Data-based indicators of performance were so important to newsroom The Guardian that they decided to design their own tool called Ophan. One way The Guardian used Ophan was through streamlining their process of deciding which stories were displayed on the front page of their website.

Rather than editors and reporters emailing each other, Ophan used metrics from “recently published” articles to automatically display certain stories. The distinction between algorithm and human are at play, however, because the newsroom doesn’t make this process completely automated. Some stories that gain the most traffic might be more suitable for social media rather than their front page, which is where this newsroom relies on newsroom staff rather than web analytics.