Category: Best Practices for Journalists on Social Media

By Ridley Hudson

Antonio Ibarra is the Multimedia Editor for the Montana Kaimin at the University of Montana. Last summer, he interned with the Missoulian and has been studying photojournalism since he was 19. UM student Ridley Hudson, who works with Ibarra at the Kaimin as a photographer, recently interviewed Ibarra about his experience with social media as a photojournalist and how he maintains engagement with his work while keeping a journalistic tone. Below is a transcript of their discussion.

Q: What voice/tone do you aim to have as a photojournalist with a social media presence?

A: I try to cover moments in their raw format and in the most fair way possible. I try to incorporate emotion, diversity and inclusion in most of my coverage as events unfold. Due to the heavy social media presence that we’re currently in, I strive to include  accurate and verifiable information about the context of the event whenever I write my captions.

Q: When you notice a mistake, what’s the best way to correct it, in your opinion?

A: I do my best to fact check the information before adding it to the post. After fact-checking, I make an update to the post and make a note on the side stating the fact.

Q: What strategies do you follow to build your social media presence in the journalism atmosphere on social media?

A: I follow other photojournalists around the state and the U.S. and interact with them online by sharing their work. Whenever you share someone’s work, it encourages them to also do the same for you, so your work gets more eyes on it.  I also try to incorporate more hashtags in the comments so the post can reach a larger audience. In the caption I also tag the official accounts of institutions and organizations that I’m referencing. This prompts them to actually see the post and encourages them to share it with their followers.

Q: How do you keep a neutral journalistic tone on social media?

A: I simply just state the facts and write in a journalistic voice without accusing or causing harm to anybody. I try to stay away from comments that are inflammatory or controversial, but if someone is spreading false information, I do my best to confront that by providing accurate information.

Continue reading “Journalists on Social Media: Q&A With Student and Montana Kaimin Multimedia Editor Antonio Ibarra” →

By Haileigh Bayee

Ric Sanchez has been specializing in social media since pretty much right after he graduated from the UM School of Journalism in 2015, first at the Washington Post and now at the Athletic, a national publication focused on sports news. Sanchez’s work includes curating content from what the Athletic has published and packaging it for Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Current University of Montana journalism student, Haileigh Bayee, interviewed Sanchez recently about best social media practices. Below is the transcription of the interview, edited for clarity and brevity.

Q: What’s your favorite platform and how do you cater your content to that platform?

A: Twitter. Honestly, a lot of people use it, so I am always second screening on Twitter during a game. I’m looking at live reactions from creditors that I follow. Honestly, it’s the easiest and quickest way to get information out there. For the most part, it’s helpful as far as being able to publish news quickly.

Q: How do you ensure your posts stay professional yet inviting?

A: We had a lot of success being a little sillier on Twitter. You see that Washington Post avatar and you’re probably expecting something a little more serious. So voice with something lighter, as long as what you’re publishing is still accurate. You obviously don’t want to get carried away and post something that’s untrue but as long as you know you’re not like reaching, you’re not trying too hard, you can have funny reactions.

Continue reading “Journalists on Social Media: Q&A with The Athletic’s Ric Sanchez” →

By Max Bartley

Journalist Maritsa Georgiou started her career at NBC Montana in 2006 during her junior year at the University of Montana. She worked as an evening anchor for NBC Montana focused on politics, wildfire reporting, and special projects, primarily the Montana addiction epidemic.

Georgiou graduated from UM in 2007, earning a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. She currently covers Montana for Newsy, a national news network headquartered in Atlanta.

Her Twitter account, where she shares a broad range of topical journalism with focus on the pandemic and Montana, serves upward of 8,500 people and her Facebook and Instagram accounts bring her follower count to over 10,000.

Georgiou recently answered questions from UM student Max Bartley over email about her experience with the pandemic, social media, and journalism. Below is a transcript of their discussion. It has been edited slightly for clarity.

Q: Did you use social media differently during lockdown?

A: I had a lot more time to be active on social media because I was working from home and not anchoring, and people were desperate for information on COVID numbers, mandates and more. It became a really interactive tool for me to use while engaging with viewers.

Q: Did the pandemic lockdown have any noticeable effect on your job, your industry, and your visibility within your industry?

A: ABSOLUTELY. I never thought we could work in TV news from home or anchor a show from home, and we did. I was in shock when I first saw the Today anchors come on screen from their home studios. As far as visibility, it both increased and decreased depending on what lens you’re looking through. I went from anchoring three shows a night to producing short segments for those shows from home. My on-air time decreased, but my visibility in reporting stories that were shared across platforms increased.

Continue reading “Journalists on Social Media: Q&A with Maritsa Georgiou, Reporter for Newsy” →