"Social networking for journalists" sounds
like some sort of lesson in manners and schmoozing. While we all
certainly know people who could use some help in that arena (present
company excluded, of course), this column is about how journalists can
make use of social networking Web sites. These sites, which help
connect friends, friends of friends and friends of friends of friends,
have grown in popularity in certain demographics (teens, college
students, young professionals, singles, married-but-looking, etc.) over
the last couple of years. Sites such as Friendster, LinkedIn, Yahoo
360, Orkut, MySpace, etc., use the concept of "trusted" friends or
acquaintences -- i.e., connecting people only to those who want to be
connected and doing so only by connecting friends of friends.
To test out these services, I had set up accounts over the
last few years, but have stopped using all but one. My excuse: I can
barely make time for the friends I have; I don't have time to make new
ones.
But there are ways in which some of these sites can help
journalists, especially in finding sources. I have been wanting to
write about this for a few months now, but haven't had a
chance. Then a few weeks ago, I got a note from Ryan Blitstein, a staff writer at SF Weekly
and former Columbia Journalism student, about how he'd used a social
networking site to track down sources for a story. His tip, shared with
permission below, shows you why reporters should learn more about such
sites (he calls them "a goldmine for sources").
Social networking Web sites are the bane of my existence.
Almost every day, I receive an e-mail alerting me that someone I barely
knew in high school wants to connect via Friendster. As annoying as
these sites are, though, they're a goldmine for sources, especially
among teens and young adults.
Friendster, MySpace, and Tribe are a 21st-century version of a
little black book, calendar, photo album, diary, and telephone rolled
into one. Everybody's information is public and, better yet,
searchable, if you know where to look. Recently, I needed to find
sources that fit a specific profile: Asian Americans who graduated from
a certain San Francisco high school during the last few years. I
focused on MySpace, the
music-centered site that has become the online equivalent of the
suburban mall for teenagers and college students. (If you don't know
the difference between the sites, ask the youngest person in your
office.) I registered, creating a simple MySpace profile (Ryan,
Journalist, San Francisco). Then, under the Search option, I chose
users who went to the school, narrowing the list to recent graduates.
Several dozen profiles remained, many of which listed "Asian" under
ethnicity. Sites also let you search by occupation, location, even last
name.
Social network reporting isn't without drawbacks, logistically
and ethically. Many site users, despite what their profiles say, are
under 18, so use the same caution you would when reporting on high
school kids. Be aware that most people don't expect their profiles to
be read by anyone other than their friends, much less to be
cold-e-mailed by a journalist. Some of those I contacted responded as
if someone had stolen and read their private diary. It's also a good
idea, if you already have a profile, to create a new one for reporting
-– after all, you don't want sources discovering any of your private information.
I use LinkedIn.com,
a site that is used in business contexts rather than "I want to meet
new people" contexts. In my next column, I will describe how I use it
for my reporting, for journalist friends looking for sources and for
non-journalists looking to connect for business purposes. I will also
share any tips readers send me about LinkedIn and other networking
sites. If you already have a LinkedIn account, please connect with me,
using "Sreenath Sreenivasan" in the "Find People" section. If you don't
have an account, you can create a free one at LinkedIn.com and then
connect with me, using the method above.
Now I am turning to you, dear reader. Share your tips on social networking sites by posting your feedback here. Or you can e-mail me at poynter@sree.net
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