Business journalists and how they use Twitter

Journalists love Twitter.

More than half of surveyed journalists agreed Twitter is their go-to tool for publicizing their work and engaging their readers, according to an informal survey of 70 journalists conducted by Talking Biz News.

When it comes to sourcing their stories, the majority of journalists still turn to Twitter, but popular networking site LinkedIn also received its fair share of support. More than one-third of the surveyed journalists said LinkedIn was their preferred social media tool for searching for sources, compared to the 37 journalists whose chose Twitter.

Usage of social media also varies among surveyed journalists. Results show one-third of journalists check their social media up to 10 times daily, and one-fourth of those surveyed admit to never logging off their accounts.

But the results are not necessarily surprising given previous reports also showed journalists are not only avid tweeters, but they also need to be in order to be successful.

In May, a report from Triggertrap CEO Haje Jan Kamps found that approximately 25 percent of Twitter’s verified accounts belonged to journalists. Sports teams and athletes came in second with 18 percent.

At the Society of American Business Editors and Writers’ spring conference in Chicago, Randy Hlavac, founder of Marketing Synergy Inc. and instructor in social media skills at Northwestern University’s Medill School, conducted a seminar to teach attendees on how to best use social media in their reporting process. Hlavac said it is nearly impossible for journalists in today’s media not to be engaged on social media.

In September, the American Press Institute released numbers that showed 74 percent of Twitter users go on the social media site to get their news, which stands to reason why journalists flock to the site so heavily.

Corrine Jurney, an associate producer of investing at Forbes, says social media is an important resource for her both professionally and personally.

“Forbes often does Twitter chats from the main account that I participate in, which results in readers following my professional account that is associated with Forbes,” Jurney said in an email to Talking Biz News. “Readers, sources, PR professionals and my coworkers all follow this account, so I post my work here and see engagement.”

As for her personal life, Jurney prefers to post her work on her private Facebook so her friends and family can see her latest accomplishments. “It’s a much more personal appeal when I craft these posts and is often more casual than the language I use to promote work on Twitter,” she said of posting on Facebook.

When it comes to which form of social media journalists would like to use more, survey results are bit more divided. Popular choices include photo-sharing apps Instagram and SnapChat. Other forms mentioned include Tumblr and reddit, along with more common choices Facebook and LinkedIn.

Alex Dixon of The Herald-Sun said he would like to incorporate Instagram more into his reporting process. He said photographers with The Hearld-Sun run the paper’s current Instagram, but said he would like to use it more himself since it offers “a much more visual platform to really let the photos and video shine.”

He said Instagram could also be a valuable tool for engaging readers in what is going on in their community. “If I go to a new brewery or restaurant that’s opened up, for example, I’ll try take a picture and post a little information about it, especially if it has been anticipated,” Dixon said.