A Twitter update from Rory Cellan-Jones asked “what are the best web tools for journalists? I’m giving a seminar for colleagues tomorrow – so what do you find most useful?” I seem to spend a fair bit of time watching how journalists engage with the internet because those that don’t have their heads in the sand tend to be the most inquisitive and practical of the non-techy adopters so I’ve seen this question mooted a few times. Paul Bradshaw is better positions to offer practical advice here but it did get me thinking. The tools are almost irrelevant. Sure, you should have a blog, a Twitter account and be tracking the key blogs in your area through Google Reader and Technorati, but it’s how you use those tools that really matters.
The specifics will depend on what online communities you’re looking to engage with but I think there are some key things to bear in mind most of which can apply to anyone wanting to get stuff from the online people.
- Build relationships. Get to know the people who will be important to you and let them get to know you. No need to get too personal but present yourself as a human being.
- Give and take. Don’t expect to parachute into a community and get what you want before leaving without giving something back. You likely have skills and knowledge that would be useful to the community (journalists have helped me with libel laws, for example). Make time to help others and when you come to ask for help they’ll be much more likely to assist.
- Mutual respect. Don’t think of the online community as a resource to be exploited. These people are participating in this community, and by extension providing you with a free resource, for their own personal reasons. Respect these reasons and engage with them accordingly.
- Be humble. You may work for a large organisation and have an audience of hundreds of thousands but these people don’t need you. They’re creating their own media and will not drop everything deign to address them. Your professional status may even work against you. Until you earn their trust and respect you’re a visitor here.
And so on. It strikes me this is pretty much common sense and is probably how journalists have always dealt with contacts and sources, but given then relative ease of tracking these communities and conversations and the different means of communicating with them it seems worth stressing. I hope it’s of some use.