February 27th, 2009 By Justin Williams
TV News Reporters Twittering Behind the Scenes
Local news outlets WFIE, and subsequently WEHT, recently set all their news anchors and reporters up to use popular micro-blogging service Twitter to interact with viewers and discuss what they are doing on location, on set and behind the scenes. For a few months outlets, including the Courier & Press, have offered Twitter accounts that syndicate new article notifications to the service, but this is the first I’ve seen locally of actual reporters and anchors embracing the technology.
I’ve been following the news crews tweets via the Nearby feature of my favorite iPhone Twitter client Tweetie. Nearby allows you to see tweets that are posted within an approximate range of your current location. Given that there are not nearly as many Twitter users in the tri-state area as in other parts of the country, an influx of a few dozen reporters in the stream is quite noticeable.
The integration of this new technology with news reporting seems natural and a smart way for traditional media to embrace new media. Much like the oft reported demise of print media, I feel that traditional television news broadcasts will be going the way of the dodo in favor of digital.
I’ve always been a fan of watching the extras on a DVD to get a glimpse of how the film was made and that’s the same feeling I get when following these local reporters online. Each day a reporter is telling a story, but it is more than just what makes it into a 3 minute segment on the 6 or 10PM news. I can now follow the reporter as they get their assignment, where they are heading to find the facts and what events happen leading up to the actual on-screen reporting.
WEHT’s Brad Byrd is also Twittering and giving a behind the scenes look at what an anchor is doing leading up to a broadcast and even during the show. From cutting promos to prepping copy, you’re able to see what goes into preparing a nightly newscast. It’s an almost perfect use of Twitter.
I’m always happy to see locals embracing these new cutting edge technologies, but I can’t help but feel that both stations are clutching to an old media paradigm and trying to shift it forward. As the newscast gets closer, many of the reporters start posting news teases to their stream much in the way they are done during television commercial breaks.
In one instance, WFIE’s Brandon Bartlett tweeted, “Find out when each EVSC project will start. 14 News is the only station with the list. See you at 10!”
While I don’t find anything wrong with promoting content from your organization, I think trying to lead someone reading your Twitter stream to a traditional media device like the 10 o’clock news is the wrong route to take. Anyone using Twitter is more likely to get their local news from the Web via news stories on the station’s Website or online video rather than making appointment viewing at 10PM.
The Twitter experiment is in its early stages and will likely evolve in the coming weeks and months. While I doubt it’s going to make me tune into the local newscasts, it is drawing me to their Web sites more. I hope other local media outlets, this paper included, continue to embrace these new media technologies.
If you want to learn more about the Twitter integration at WFIE, CJ Hoyt was the guest on my radio show on WNIN this week. Listen live Friday at 12:30 or Sundays at 6:30PM on 88.3-FM
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Why don’t you go and play with your Mac and shut the eff up.
I think it’s odd that Brad Byrd is praised in this article. He is full of himself. 14 news was the first to start twittering and I think their tweets are far more interesting than anything Brad Byrd puts on his page.
brad byrd isn’t full of himself. he’s just very good at his job and he knows it.
Obviously, WEHT is embracing the digital medium. I love reading Scott Adkins, Jennifer Cahill’s and Mark Glovers tweets. They give us a behind the scenes look of their news product. 14 seems to be using it as self-promotion, rather than actual conversation.
When is it going to be too much?
Why do we need to know… Why do we think we need to know what reporters are doing prior to a newscast?
Do you really think Brad is going to be tweeting every day prior to going on the air? “I’m having my make up put on.” “I’m combing my hair.” “I’m watching the radar.”
Or how about the traveling news anchors. “I’m at the scene of the vehicle crash. Two cars involved. I’m setting up the camera.”
Really? Do we need to know this?
While I’m very impressed with the technology behind Twitter, I think this is a fad that will quickly go away. Who would want the responsibility of having to always update random strangers of what you’re doing?
Chimpie–I dunno, it is pretty addicting, a lot of people thought FB was going to be a fad too
Also, what’s up with @yurmum?
chimpie: the good thing about Twitter is that it’s opt-in. If you don’t want to know, you don’t have to follow it. If you start following someone and you find their content boring, you can unsubscribe.
I look at it like a weblog, but in short, 140-character bites. I’m certain there’s a lot of people that come to this site, sample a few posts I’ve written and then decided to subscribe or to move along. The same practice applies to Twitter.
I love twitter and beth sweeney she is super hot!
Could News25 possibly mention twitter one more time during their newscast? I am sure I’ve heard ‘twitter’ at least 10 times during their 5:00 newscast and it is only 5:12 at the time of this post!
I bet their older or less tech savvy viewers are wondering what they’re talking about. LOL
While I agree with a few points you made, I think you are way off base with what the average person wants from Twitter. I’ve been following both stations and must say 14 has the most substance to offer. To say Brad Byrd is perfectly using Twitter is laughable. His posts, “scripts in order, reporters running around, tie straight” comments are a waste of space. Most of the tweets from 25 are the same way. I have ended up blocking those who only post that nonsense. I decided to follow local reporters to know what stories they are working on that day. I also like it when they post the time their stories will be played. If something interests me, I know when to watch. The only complaint I would have is many seem to use it to have conversations with each other.
julie, in my experience, the vast majority of people using twitter use it in order to post quick things about themselves or what they are doing….even if it is “scripts in order, reporters running around, tie straight.” Many times, someone tweets something interesting, and people responds with something related, something the first may be interested in, or quite often a humorous comment. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone follow people for solely news related reasons or be upset about everyday update tweets. I much prefer the everyday update tweets. I follow some news and politicians, and even Shaq. If they ONLY put “basketball game against pacers, at 8″ or “live at 5, are you being watched?” or similar things, I would unfollow them in a heartbeat. It is far too boring.
TWEET! If you’re paying my mortgage!