For the focus of my master’s in CUNY’s new social journalism program, I’m listening to, studying, and serving the community of people in newsrooms who are social media or engagement editors. I’ve also received some funding from the Kettering Foundation to research and put together a report on how journalists define “social journalism” and who is practicing/pioneering it.
Here some of the work I’ve done so far:
Profiled three people who are doing audience work in newsrooms:
Interviewed journalists who do audience development and growth work to get a sense of what their roles entail:
Looked at what kinds of salaries social media editors, community editors, and similarly titled people make in newsrooms, as part of my Journo Salary Sharer series:
Shared the reading list I’ve put together this year:
Hosted a Twitter chat around the topic of career paths for social journalists:
Talked with journalists who know a thing or two about comment sections to get their reactions to research that shows when a reporter jumps into the comments, commenters are more civil. Also gathered tips from the research and these journalists on some commenting best-practices for reporters:
Built a guide to seven overlooked newsroom jobs (including social media editor) for new journalism grads or disillusioned reporters:
Hosted a Twitter chat around the topic of “Day in the Life of a Social Media Editor”:
Interviewed journalists in St. Louis about how they tried to engage readers around the events in Ferguson, and from that also wrote about their tips to avoid burnout when handling intense/emotional news on social media:
I’ve also talked with more than 20 people who currently or previously have been in a social media editor role (or similar) to try to get a sense of the challenges and joys of the work they’re doing.
And here’s what the project for the Kettering Foundation is focused on:
Conduct a study that establishes a baseline understanding of “social journalism“ and the growing number of news pioneers tasked with engaging with residents and building community relationships that help communities achieve their goals. The study will describe what these journalists are doing, the skills they need, the tools they use, the challenges they face, and how they see the field evolving.
This data would be analyzed and used to produce an actionable report useful for social journalism practitioners and educators alike. It would: define and categorize these emerging jobs; describe what the job requires; begin to get an early sense for what kinds of activities are resonating with communities.
(Excerpted from the research agreement)
