To understand the enemy, you must think like the enemy – so the military strategy goes. True, journalists are certainly not enemies, so the comparison isn’t quite valid. But the point remains: to truly understand how a journalist reports the news and understands what you’re trying to tell them, you must look at the process from their angle.
Online journalism might look like traditional print, radio or television media, but it’s vastly different. It benefits from the reader’s ability to quickly verify facts. Cable news viewers can delve further into a subject after seeing a report, but that usually requires a move from the couch to the computer – even an iPad isn’t motivation enough. When a reader sees something reported on an online news site, a blog or even a social media outlet, it doesn’t take much more than a visit to Google to dig deeper.
Readers know everything. And anything they don’t already know, they will within 10 minutes, even if their facts might be stretched to fit a point or an agenda.
Dissecting the media
Let’s look at a few ways an entry or an article might make its way online, starting with the simplest approach – social media.
A few words are all it takes for an amateur reporter to disseminate fact (or fiction). In this case, it’s usually based on something they’ve read elsewhere – a press release, a company website or an article. These quick reports engage their followers, who might spread the word digitally or verbally. No, a social media user isn’t a journalist per se, but they’re saying something to an audience that, in one way or another, views them as authoritative. They listen. They repeat.
A step up from this is the blogger. Closely related to a social media user, a blogger is, in many ways, simply a more verbose Tweeter or Facebooker. Yes, blogs came well before either of those sites, but their worlds are closely intertwined.
For example, a connected blogger gathers information from Twitter, relying as much on official accounts as word-of-mouth Tweets from nearly anyone. Sometimes it’s as simple as reporting on an announcement, while other times an inconveniently leaked message to an exposed situation. They’re opposite ends, but they represent the different ways a blogger might work. To get more connected to this unique reporting manner, follow a celebrity’s Tweets for the day and then check out one of the countless celebrity-tracking blogs. Suddenly, you’re a few words away from being a blogger.
What separates most bloggers from most reporters is the level of research put into crafting a story. Broadly speaking, most bloggers are looking to get a story up quickly – they’ll check their sources later and post an update. It’s modern sensationalism, but this ever-faster-moving world can’t be satisfied any other way.
Traditional reporting is hardly dead, although bloggers might suggest otherwise. Websites affiliated with print outlets follow their parent groups’ standards, even though they usually have a reasonably well-researched blog section written by traditional reporters.
These blog sections offer up anything from obscure news stories to short bits that, in the eyes of the editor, don’t merit an in-depth story.
A well-researched piece will have the writer conducting his business in much the same way as a print reporter might. Interviews are required and citing more than one source to verify information or opinion is a given.
The comment paradigm
Instant, visible feedback is almost always the way the online world moves. Few active websites don’t have a section for readers to share their comments. Although most legitimate sites carefully monitor comments, few censor anything other than spam and profanity.
Journalists get instant feedback from their readers, which allows the ability to further craft a piece. Do readers point out incorrect information? A writer can edit the story since it is not set in stone. A new development? The public almost always finds out first, so a reporter often learns as much from the comments as from an official source.
Of course, a good reporter then verifies the information learned – or at least verifies the source. Occasionally, the reporter will directly engage readers to solicit more information or opinions. Sometimes this happens behind the scenes via email, while often a reporter will add to the comments, carefully ensuring that he or she does not reveal a bias.
Moreover, comment sections give readers the opportunity to voice their opinions, which are then read by other readers. While readers might not assign a high level of credibility to these numerous opinions, they certainly pay attention to them.
Taking advantage
Disseminating your information in a fast and efficient process is essential. Thorough, but concise press releases, extensive use of social media and easy availability for on-the-record conversations will ensure a positive relationship with the media.
Resist using a site’s feedback section to engage audiences. A better approach is to directly contact the reporter to discuss a false or concerning comment. Don’t expect the reporter to edit a comment, but sometimes a clarification can be made in the text of the story.
As always, establishing a rapport with the media will produce positive results.
