Reporting live . . . via Twitter

Earlier this month I gave a talk on social media at a Contra Costa Public Information Network meeting and demonstrated Twitter. I gave a few examples of how communications professionals and journalists are using Twitter to show that it's not just about people telling their friends about what they had for lunch or that their cat is taking a nap. I just read a great example of a journalist utilizing Twitter to do an outstanding job of beat reporting. Here's what BeatBlogging said about Ron Sylvester, a court reporter for The Wichita Eagle, who has been "reinventing court coverage with Twitter:" Sylvester tweets what is happening during the trial and provides insight into the trial itself. Sylvester is using social media and his blog to transform how newspapers cover trials. No longer is Sylvester being beaten by broadcast media. Instead, his live updates from the court room beat everyone. And unlike live TV coverage of a trial, which can be overwhelming, Sylvester’s 140-character tidbits make following a trial very easy.

Sylvester’s Twitter use also proves that Twitter can be a valuable tool for journalists in less-populated, less-tech savvy areas. Many of the people that follow Sylvester’s court room tweets are not on Twitter. They’re not that interested in Twitter itself, but they are interested in the content that Sylvester produces on it. These people either follow along on Sylvester’s Twitter page or on blog where his tweets are embedded.

I wonder what communications professionals and journalists will think to use Twitter for next . . .

~ Nicole