putting up your antennae

A lot of people working in journalism, news and media are starting to notice that there's a whole world of contacts and content inside Facebook and other social networking sites.

I think this sudden interest in the social web is a good thing, not just because it will help them understand the social norms in those spaces so that journalists don't find themselves blundering their way in again following the next big breaking news story, but because it means that we'll be there to actually spot stories as they are reported by members of the public who happen to be on site - blogging and twittering and flickring - as the story breaks.

Jarvis said it well a few weeks ago when he wrote:

"And so the key skills in a newsroom will not be to get reporters to the scene — that will come later, after the news happens — but to have antennae up to listen and find news reports as they happen, as people link to what’s happening. You can’t possibly have enough reporters, editors, producers to do that on your own. You need to have lots of friends who’ll alert you: When I put up a link here to something I find compelling — or even embed and broadcast it here, live — will I also alert CNN? I don’t know. Would you?"

I've got my antennae up, have you?

Comments

[nigel barlow]

I am not sure sure Robin.As a sad 43 year old,learning the journalism trade late in life,I, to be fair,make great use of the positive aspects of cyberspace.

I have however drawn the line at the social networking sites,perhaps because I wish to draw the line in the information minefield.I think that the blogosphere is a perfectly adequate forum to gain news and opinion.

I understand the point of linking with the mindset of the younger generation,but listening to the chatter amongst fellow and younger course members,it seems to be simply a social network,(where are meeting tonight,here are the latest photographs of us in the nightclub etc etc.)

Some people are jumping on the bandwagon,but the real knowledge and the opinion is adequately provided in blogs