Fight it as much as you want, journalists, but the digital world is not leaving any time soon. That was the message of Mira Lowe, senior features editor for CNN Digital. "All of you have to be digital journalists," she said.
Lowe discussed some of the programs CNN uses to measure user engagement, as well as ones she uses to monitor news trends and get the jump on emerging stories. These are tools all journalists can, and should, use. The first was Chartbeat Rising, a free program that ranks top topics being shared on social media across 30 countries. The trends show up in interactive bubbles. Second was Twitter Trends, which can be customized to specific locations, depending on what you want to know. This is a great way to see what people are tweeting about from Prague to Portland, Oregon. Facebook has a new feature that allows users to see stories that are receiving attention. This is shown on the right-side of the desktop screen and can be expanded to show more topics. With Facebook becoming more of a news- or blog-sharing site, this feature helps users stay up-to-date about what is popular. Bing was a surprising suggestion from Lowe. The search engine now features a row of top stories on the bottom of the homepage for ease of access. Finally, NewsWhip offers users the ability to track social trends and niche categories to see what is trending and what may soon be a top story. These programs were not all that Lowe presented. She also emphasized the need for a social media strategy in sharing writing. "You story doesn't end when it gets published," she said. In fact, after posting it online, engagement begins. Connecting with others online and getting your work shared means using hashtags, sending it to targeted readers and responding when people interact with your writing. Social media is part of the storytelling process, adding another step for journalists to raise awareness and keep the world informed.
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A chance to see the world from the perspective of a 6-foot-2, aspiring human rights journalist. Will include lessons learned and reflections.
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April 2016
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