newsleader blogs

During this recent bout of snow in the UK, my news team in Newcastle has created its most successful hashtag yet. The journalists have encouraged listeners to tweet their own snow reports using #metrosnow Its resulted in hundreds of pieces of information and pictures each day.

Using the hashtag pulls together all these tweets, some of which are sent to presenters, the station, the news team and sometimes to no one in particular. The listener herself is also able to search #metrosnow for herself and get an instant snapshot of the current weather in the region.

There have been some questions tweeted and the team strives to respond or re-tweet hoping someone else has an answer. This element of using social media is vital, for it is truly social. Journalists, presenters or producers must take time to read the tweets, or Facebook comments, and respond as best they can. This will be limited by the numbers of comments and time but the intent should remain the same.

I tweeted a radio station to ask how the weather was in a particular city. I didn’t get a reply and I am discouraged from tweeting again.

For me, there are three simple steps to a successful social media connection and they are:

• POST
• READ
• RESPOND

A short acknowledgement, a thank you for example, will make many listeners happy or even an endorsed re-tweet.

Bad weather makes social media invaluable to journalists and programme makers but it also means we have to work even harder to respond to our audience’s needs.

As tweeted by @newsleader earlier today:

• Understand why you’re using social media. What’s your strategy? Crucial.
• Don’t broadcast. Interact. If you start a conversation, follow it through.
• Realise the main social networks fulfil different functions. Facebook = conversation and content sharing.
• Twitter = a huge information network.
• Understand FB and Twitter are very different, avoid linking updates.
• You Tube can expose your video content to a wide, world audience not currently watching your stuff!
• Be aware of the copyright/rights issues around re-using audio visual content from social media.
• Tip offs from social media make the fundamentals of verification and accuracy more important than ever.
• Encourage on air talent to use social media to interact with the audience at any time.
• But realise negative feedback means social media isn’t suitable for every presenter.
• Presenters - be ‘real’ in your tweets but manage the balance between personal and professional.
• Embrace social media content on air. Push listeners to social media and SM users to the radio.
• Curate the best social media content on-line and provide clear links to follow and like.
• Include social media in your production meetings and whenever possible in conversations.
• Celebrate your successes on social media with your team including mile stone statistics.
• Use the cover picture on Facebook to showcase personalities or the essence of your brand. Avoid logos.
• Focus on content with high social value i.e. content which gets a reaction - anger, amazement, laughter, shock or tears.
• Use hash tags on Twitter to organise conversations around shows, stars and stories.
• Blogs enable an expert to show off their expertise or explain the story behind a story.
• We’re at the start of the social media journey – be creative, experiment and learn!

My Twitter feed has been dominated today by information detailing the proposed cuts at the BBC.

As dramatic as some are, we all knew that it wasn’t going to be pleasant for the DG and co to save a fifth from budgets.

This of course doesn’t make it any easier for broadcasters who may now be worried for their jobs.

It also shouldn’t put off young journalists from pursing their dreams.

Here are three reasons why:

1. New talent is always in demand. Take it from someone who listens to hundreds of demos each year.

When I advertise a job I estimate about 10% of applicants make it onto the maybe pile.

If you’re good, and persistent, you’ll get on.

Be patient. We all need a bit of luck sometimes.

2. Today’s generation of new journalists are highly marketable because of multi-platform training.

The ability to work across TV, radio and on-line including social media will give you a clear edge against those who do not have this. Sell it!!

3. Working in TV or radio remains an amazing job - a privilege even.

British broadcasting has an incredible reputation, worldwide.

The BBC is regarded as a role model by many of the European broadcasters I’ve worked with previously.

In other words, the work attachments, tea making, CV and demos are worth it in the end - many times over!

Finally, a note to those running BJ post graduate courses.

You can be very supportive to students trying to get work attachments.

Perhaps there should be even more of a focus on tailoring the right CV, demo and approaches to broadcasters, post course in light of today’s announcement and its effect in the coming years?

I still see some howlers!

So, whilst we all need to be realistic about tough times at the BBC and what this will mean in the jobs market, I hope today’s announcement doesn’t stop a new generation of ideas and voices making it to air.

That would be disastrous.

Recently on Metro and TFM Radios we’ve done something called News You Choose. The mechanic is simple, allow the increasingly interactive audience to chance to decide on the running order, ask questions and suggest their own story ideas. The aim is to engage our listeners, make us stand out and drive social media numbers.

One of the key messages from the audience was a plea for more good news stories. After weeks of bad weather, civil unrest and continuing economic uncertainty a number of listeners said they were desperate to hear more good news.

So, on CFM today - covering Cumbria and south west Scotland - we’re launching our latest experiment! We’re banning bad news. Instead we have planned uplifting stories, many of them life affirming or simply celebrating positive things that are happening in the area.

On a day when its looking ever more gloomy for our economy this should make us a very different and brighter option to what our rivals are doing.

One of my favourite stories includes the local man who was told by doctors he’d never walk again and who has just run a marathon. The team has found many other compelling, good news stories across the patch.

I hope good news day gets the CFM audience attention today, making listeners talk and, of course, smile :-)

Recently on Metro and TFM Radios we’ve done something called News You Choose. The mechanic is simple, allow the increasingly interactive audience to chance to decide on the running order, ask questions and suggest their own story ideas. The aim is to engage our listeners, make us stand out and drive social media numbers.

One of the key messages from the audience was a plea for more good news stories. After weeks of bad weather, civil unrest and continuing economic uncertainty a number of listeners said they were desperate to hear more good news.

So, on CFM today - covering Cumbria and south west Scotland - we’re launching our latest experiment! We’re banning bad news. Instead we have planned uplifting stories, many of them life affirming or simply celebrating positive things that are happening in the area.

On a day when its looking ever more gloomy for our economy this should make us a very different and brighter option to what our rivals are doing.

One of my favourite stories includes the local man who was told by doctors he’d never walk again and who has just run a marathon. The team has found many other compelling, good news stories across the patch.

I hope good news day gets the CFM audience attention today, making listeners talk and, of course, smile :-)

What a week for my team at Bauer Radio in the NE of England and Cumbria.

We’re now celebrating 12 nominations in major radio awards this season - an amazing achievement!

This afternoon to add to IRN, Sony and Arqiva recognition we were nominated 3 times at the Bauer Awards and won twice.

Our multi-award nominated young reporter Simon Conway won best new talent and the Metro team were honoured for a news based campaign called £1 Million of Work.

This is to add to 4 IRN News Award nominations, 3 Sony noms (our Great North Run coverage got Silver) and 2 Arqiva nods.

Now I could send an internal email to my team to congratulate them but why do that when I can share with the world too on this blog?!

So, a huge well done and a thank you for your dedication and hard work to Anna, Helen, Joel, Joe, Kelly, Sarah, Simon and the two Rebeccas plus the regular freelancers.

Have a great weekend team - you deserve it!