The report, Who Says What to Whom on Twitter | Yahoo! Research, found that 50% of all tweets consumed are generated by just 20,000 elite users.

For the purposes of the study, they classified Twitter users into “elite” or “ordinary”, breaking elite users into the categories media, celebrities, organisations and bloggers.

One of the more interesting things looked at in the report is the lifespan of content, and what they found with media-related tweets.

“We find that different categories of users emphasize different types of content, and that different content types exhibit dramatically different characteric lifespans, ranging from less than a day to months.”

In its conclusion, the report found that “media-originated URLs are disproportiantely represented among short-lived URLs”.

We also find that different types of content exhibit very different lifespans: media-originated URLs are disproportionately represented among short-lived URLs while those originated by bloggers tend to be overrepresented among long-lived URLs. Finally, we find that the longest-lived URLs are dominated by content such as videos and music, which are continually being rediscovered by Twitter users and appear to persist indefinitely.

That can be seen in this figure, generated by unshortening 35,000 URLs that “lived” at least 200 days, and mapping them to 21,034 domains.

Read the abstract and get the PDF of the report here:
Who Says What to Whom on Twitter | Yahoo! Research

Or it’s just some random links I had time to take note of.

Enjoy.

• Why Twitter matters for media organisations | Alan Rusbridger | Editor of The Guardian newspaper
  

  1. It’s an amazing form of distribution
  2. It’s where things happen first
  3. As a search engine, it rivals Google
  4. It’s a formidable aggregation tool
  5. It’s a great reporting tool
  6. It’s a fantastic form of marketing
  7. It’s a series of common conversations. Or it can be
  8. It’s more diverse
  9. It changes the tone of writing
  10. It’s a level playing field
  11. It has different news values
  12. It has a long attention span
  13. It creates communities
  14. It changes notions of authority
  15. It is an agent of change

  That’s just an excerpt of Alan Rusbridger’s full speech at the 2010 Andrew Olle Media Lecture, and it wasn’t all about Twitter. The full text, and audio, of Rusbridger’s speech, titled The Splintering of the Fourth Estate, is available from 702 ABC Sydney.

• Mobile Journalism Tools blog
  

  Our Mission
  Exploring best practices in mobile journalism
  Hear what The Experts have to say about the mobilejournalismtools blog.

• Blogging and commenting guidelines for journalists at The Guardian
  

  1. Participate in conversations about our content, and take responsibility for the conversations you start.
  2. Focus on the constructive by recognising and rewarding intelligent contributions.
  3. Don’t reward disruptive behaviour with attention, but report it when you find it.
  4. Link to sources for facts or statements you reference, and encourage others to do likewise.
  5. Declare personal interest when applicable. Be transparent about your affiliations, perspectives or previous coverage of a particular topic or individual.
  6. Be careful about blurring fact and opinion and consider carefully how your words could be (mis)interpreted or (mis)represented.
  7. Encourage readers to contribute perspective, additional knowledge and expertise. Acknowledge their additions.
  8. Exemplify our community standards in your contributions above and below the line.

• 10 ways journalists can use Storify | Zombie Journalism
  

  1. Organizing reaction in social media.
  2. Giving back-story using past content.
  3. Curating topical content.
  4. Displaying a non-linear social media discussion or chat.
  5. Creating a multimedia/social media narrative.
  6. Organize your live tweets into a story
  7. Collaborate on a topic with readers.
  8. Create a timeline of events.
  9. Display audience content from across platforms.
  10. Live curate live tweets from the stream.

• When Are Facebook Users Most Active? [STUDY]
  

  as in – when is your online audience most active?
  Here are some of the big takeaways:

  • The three biggest usage spikes tend to occur on weekdays at 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. ET.
  • The biggest spike occurs at 3:00 p.m. ET on weekdays.
  • Weekday usage is pretty steady, however Wednesday at 3:00 pm ET is consistently the busiest period.
  • Fans are less active on Sunday compared to all other days of the week.

• The top 10 key lessons for hyperlocal journalism startups from ONA10
  

  1. Successful doesn’t mean beautiful
  2. Legal stuff isn’t rocket science
  3. There is no such thing as free content
  4. Follow the data
  5. Focus on money from day one
  6. Advertisers are buying your audience, not funding your stories
  7. Grants don’t come for free
  8. Focus on multiple revenue models
  9. Technology should be fast and cheap
  10. Stop whining and just do it

• Poynter Online – Shirky: The Shock of Inclusion and New Roles for News in the Fabric of Society
• Poynter Online – Rusbridger: Openness, Collaboration Key to New Information Ecosystem
• The Times’ Paywall and Newsletter Economics « Clay Shirky
• Virtualeconomics: News Corp’s paywall is about News Corp, not the Times

Had anyone read the original blog post, it would have been plainly obvious the Pear Analytics study was just a shill for some Twitter attention management company who promise to remove all that pesky “babble”.

MSNBC outed it on August 14 as a crock, three days before general mainstream media picked it up.

Stephen Dann tore it apart on his blog, giving a scathing breakdown of each failure in methodology. Pear Analytics employee Sarah, who worked on the study, responds at length in comments – confirming the study was a crock.

Stilgherrian wrote on it in Crikey today.

And from Greg Williams and Derek Barry came these links on Twitter.

Trivial tweeting was written as part of an academic discussion on July 2, well before the Pear Analytics study. It’s by Cornelius Puschmann from the department of English Language and Linguistics at the University of Duesseldorf.

Finally Danah Boyd wrote Twitter: “pointless babble” or peripheral awareness + social grooming?

As an example of things that could be categorised as News on Twitter, one of the arguments above contained a link to the original Hudson River tweet. The reason I include it here is because of the popularity of the image – the accompanying Twitpic is closing in on half a million views.

Yesterday mytwitterbutler.com owner and Twitter third party developer Dean Collins arrived home to find an email from lawyers claiming to represent Twitter,  demanding he cease operating his website and hand over the domain because of his “violation of Twitter’s Terms of Service (“TOS”) and spam rules, and your infringement of Twitter’s trademark rights”.

His website is designed to help users auto-follow people when certain keywords appear in their tweets. Many in the Twitter community frown on auto-following that generates masses of spam, but Collins is vehemently denying misuse, and said he’s using the Twitter API in accordance with the rules.

“Basically they were saying we want you to hand over the domain, stop using and selling your software, and never use the API ever again,” Collins said.
“I think twitter are forgetting how they got so popular in the first place. There are 3000 applications out there all using the Twitter API, all using the rules they gave us.”

In their letter of demand, the lawyers have suggested that use of the word “Twitter” in Mr Collins’ domain will confuse users into thinking his product is affiliated with Twitter.

Twitter is concerned, however, that your use of My Twitter Butler and the related domain may cause confusion in the marketplace by suggesting that you and your site are somehow affiliated with Twitter, or are endorsed, sponsored, or approved by Twitter, which would result in an infringement of Twitter’s valuable trademark rights.

In light of the above, we must demand that you immediately:

1. deactivate the MyTwitterButler.com website;

2. transfer the MyTwitterButler.com domain to Twitter;

3. comply with Twitter’s TOS and rules, which includes stopping your aggressive and automatic following and offering techniques and software for others to aggressively or automatically follow; and

4. stop all use of the My Twitter Butler name, the TWITTER mark, or any other name, logo, or domain name that includes TWITTER or any confusingly similar term.

Twitter’s success has been built on the back of thousands of third party developers who have taken the API beyond what its founders could have ever imagined, and some in the Twitter Dev community have questioned if this is the beginning of the end for open development using the Twitter API.

Mr Collins said he attended a Twitter-hosted event for developers six months ago, where about 200 developers listened to Twitter representatives give examples of how the API could be used.
“Auto-follow was the second example they gave,” he said.
“I’m just using their publicly defined API.”

Some will argue Mr Collins has been warned, as the case is not without recent precedent. At the beginning of July, TechCrunch reported that Twitter had been getting touchy about using the word “Tweet” in applications. While it seeemed to be cleared up that “tweet” was okay, “Twitter” is still supposed to be a no-go for applications.

In a blog post, Biz Stone later said they encouraged the use of the word Tweet, but:

“If we come across a confusing or damaging project, the recourse to act responsibly to protect both users and our brand is important. Regarding the use of the word Twitter in projects, we are a bit more wary although there are some exceptions here as well.”

A quick search by Collins found dozens of third party Twitter applications that used the word Twitter in their domain or application, and he wondered if he was just one of many to receive letters from Twitter’s lawyers yesterday.
“It will either turn out that I’m just one, or it’s a big deal and 30 to 40 are being taken down tomorrow.”

If Twitter succeeds in forcing mytwitterbutler.com owner Dean Collins to deactivate his website, transfer the domain to Twitter, and stop using any reference to Twitter, the future of other hugely successfull third party Twitter applications like twittercounter, twitterfall, twitterfeed and DestroyTwitter could also be in jeopardy.

Read the letter from Twitter’s lawyers in full at mytwitterbutler.com/I’m_Being_Sued/

This list was originally contained in the post, Australia’s Top 100 Journalists and News Media People on Twitter. That post has been trimmed back to just 100 Twitter accounts to more accurately reflect the post title.
The original list has been reposted in full here, with even more additions taking it beyond 500 Twitter accounts listed.
Read on…

That (original) post title is utter bollocks and mere linkbait. This list does not in any way rank influence, importance or interest, and it contains far more than 100 journalists.

There have been a few lists of Australian journalists on Twitter (see end of post), but this one is a little different, and much larger. I have classified as journalist anyone who produces content for online or traditional media and, as you’ll see, some people who are simply involved in the selling or promoting of news media. So really it’s more of a list of Australian media people on Twitter It’s also not a complete list of Australian journalists and people in the news media industry on Twitter because that number has exploded in the last few months. It’s getting to the point where I would be surprised if there’s a journalist who DOESN’T have a Twitter account, and so I’ve stopped keeping track. I’ve stopped looking for more. I’m hitting publish.

LC Smith Corona Typewriter

Sections

• News Limited
• Fairfax
• ABC
• Other Media – organised
• Other Media – unorganised
• Freelance
• Photographers
• Radio
• Television
• Miscellaneous
• Academics
• Australians Overseas
• Blurb

NEWS LIMITED

The Courier-Mail

@djfcm David Fagan – Courier Mail editor
@jg_rat John Grey – online editor
@ViralAgent John O’Brien – sub-editor and Mac columnist
@bartman6 Chris Bartlett – online editor
@lyndalcairns Lyndal Cairns – online editor
@jendudley Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson – Technology reporter and blogger
@earleyedition Dave Earley – general news and police reporter
@felicitymoore Felicity Moore – Sub editor and parenting blogger
@readfearn Graham Readfearn – Environment reporter and blogger
@annacaldwell Anna Caldwell – police reporter
@jodieobrien Jodie O’Brien – police and courts reporter
@ironsider Robyn Ironside – crime editor
@patricklion Patrick Lion – state political reporter
@cmrosemary Rosemary Odgers – state political reporter
@nataschamirosch Natascha Mirosch – Food feature writer
@thejobblog Amanda Horswill – CareerOne editor
@johnstonec Craig Johnstone – state political editor
@emilyeverywhere Emily Jade O’Keefe – Courier Mail blogger (also Triple M radio)
@brizbands Candice Bridger – entertainment and music blogger and vlogger
@poppymasselos Poppy Masselos – headstart editor, integration team
@terryoconnor Terry O’Connor – online editor
@alisonsandy Alison Sandy – city council reporter
@shopblog Paddy Hintz – Journalist, shopping blogger
@therealrocky123 Neale Maynard – online editor
@barringtond Barry Dick – courier mail online sports editor
@michaellund Michael Lund – feature writer
@petewallis Peter Wallis – photographer
@mickwray11 Michael Wray – joined Twitter while chief police reporter, since left to Hong Kong
@ursulaheger Ursula Heger – transport reporter
@ajdicko Alex Dickinson – MX reporter
@chesterrod Rod Chester
@NatGregg Natalie Gregg
@melbris Melanie Christiansen
@dwabriz Dennis Atkins
@lisayallamas Lisa Yallamas
@waggachap David Costello
@jensent Torny Jensen – mX reporter

news.com.au and/or News Digital Media (NDM)
@cowspanker David Higgins – Editor news.com.au
@rodpeno Rod Peno – Social Media Producer at News Digital Media
@penbo David Penberthy – editor of The Punch, former editor of the Daily Telegraph
@colgo Paul Colgan – Managing Editor of The Punch
@_tors Tory Maguire – Deputy Editor of The Punch
@_leo_s Leo Shanahan – staff writer, The Punch
@lucyjk Lucy Kippist – The Punch
@imacri Irena Macri – multimedia producer
@diversionary Simon Wright – designer
@aramadge Andrew Ramadge – technology reporter
@newsbee Lanai Vasek – business owner editor
@agitated Chris Agiasotis
@chrisrhyss Chris Rhyss Edwards
@newsian Ian Rakowski
@schneiderk Kate Schneider – travel reporter
@myleswearring Myles Wearring – entertainment editor
@chelsea_mes Chelsea Mes – business reporter
@taylordane75 Lee Taylor – travel editor
@aysha Aysha Leo – multimedia producer
@coogeecoup Alison Godfrey – journalist
@felicityh Felicity Hetherington – afternoon news editor
@lincolnarcher Lincoln Archer
@edmundtadros Edmund Tadros – business editor
@ericdot Eric Auld – designer
@gogaino
@nocreditbob
@newslab Charles Brewer – photographer – who also has
@letterstoharry
@sydfilmfestival
@jeanti Jeanti St Clair – the original news.com.au foray into Twitter? Her last tweet was in May 2007
@ozfashionweek – as above
@vidiva Vida Redoblado – News Digital Media PR
@c41 Pete Ottery – designer at news digital media
@timburton
@ccoaster2002 Andrew Banks – editorial promotions at news.com.au
@dnazaroff Diane Nazaroff – multimedia producer
@askbossy Kate de Brito – Ask Bossy blogger
@chris_deal Chris Deal designer
@trentenda James Harris – news digital media SEO manager
@alhaigh Alastair Haigh – News Digital Media, Mastheads Lead Designer

QUEST
@korenhelbig Koren Helbig – Albert and Logan News
@idrinktang Dan Tang – Albert and Logan News
@lukeroyes Luke Royes – journalist Southern Star
@foodiegirlie Wendy Hall – food writer at City News (Brisbane) and chief sub at Quest

The Australian
@mclayfield Matthew Clayfield – journalist
@chris_griffith Chris Griffith – multimedia journalist
@sarahelks Sarah Elks – Brisbane-based journalist
@gerardhenderson Gerard Henderson – fake?
@overingtonc Caroline Overington
@meadea Amanda Meade – Media journalist
@sally_jackson Sally Jackson – Media journalist

Other News Ltd
@tburton Tim Burton
@matthew_hall Matthew Hall – Sun Herald
@joe_hildebrand Joe Hildebrand – Daily Telegraph blogger
@cate3221 Cate Swannell – Gold Coast Bulletin journalist
@sueGCB Sue Lappeman – Gold Coast Bulletin
@saline Samela Harris – Adelaide Advertiser
@chrisreports Chris Pepper – adelaidenow, Adelaide Advertiser
@buck_ers Brian Buchanan – online operations manager herald and weekly times
@tabloidterror Ros Reine – Sunday Telegraph gossip columnist
@scottpape Scott Pape – financial columnist and blogger
@jen_bennett Jennifer Bennett – Wentworth Courier reporter
@adamjoseph1 Adam Joseph – Herald Sun Marketing Insights Manager
@mattpinkney Matt Pinkney – Herald Sun online editor
@lukedennehy Luke Dennehy – Sunday Herald Sun
@heraldsunscoop Megan Miller
@rodsavage Rod Savage – AdelaideNow editor
@MarPar Maralyn Parker – Education columnist for The Daily Telegraph
@andrewfenton Andrew Fenton – Film Writer and Magazine Journalist with News Ltd, based in Adelaide.

Return to top of list

FAIRFAX

Brisbane Times
@bigtruck Dan Sankey – managing editor
@JohnBirmingham John Birmingham – blogger
@heidi75 Heidi Davoren – morning producer
@phillutton1 Phil Lutton – sports editor
@katherinefeeney Katherine Feeney – journalist and blogger
@georgiawaters Georgia Waters – journalist
@lilhack Melissa Singer – news editor
@karlsikora Karl Sikora – marketing manager
@scottjmcasey Scott Casey – reporter, multimedia editor

Sydney Morning Herald
@brandstand Julian Lee – media and marketing news
@carlosmonteiro Carlos Monteiro –
@valeriekhoo Valerie Khoo – enterprise blogger
@annabelcrabb Annabel Crabb –
@ashermoses Asher Moses – technology journalist
@joelgibson Joel Gibson – indigenous affairs reporter
@aclennell Andrew Clennell – state political editor
@engalvo Nick Galvin – journalist
@curious_scribe Glenda Kwek – journalist and multimedia
@arjun_aus Arjun Ramachandran – journalist
@ronerdos Ron Erdos – online marketer
@simonthomsen Simon Thomsen – Good Food Guide co-editor and restaurant critic
@jo_co Joanna Cohen – film writer
@joannasavill Joanna Savill – SMH food journalist writer editor (Good Food Guide)
@brontegirl Kimberley Porteous – multmedia editor.
@hornery Andrew Hornery – gossip columnist – editor of Private Sydney
@geerob Georgina Robinson – reporter

Other Fairfax
@paulwiggins Paul Wiggins – editor and longtime Australian content manager at Testy Copy Editors
@matthew_hall Matthew Hall – Sun Herald blogger
@lucasng Lucas Ng – search and analytics director fairfax digital
@mfantini – Margarida Fantini – fairfax digital
@melinashanks Meline Cruickshank – fairfax digital
@kuns Mike van Niekirk – editor-in-chief online – fairfax media
@annacico Anna Cicognani – fairfax digital
@amstrad Darren Burden – Director of News and Sport, Fairfax Digital
@dalemccarthy Dale McCarthy – head of digital strategy at Fairfax Digital
@ebaral Edward Baral – Group Marketing Manager for Fairfax Business Media
@liamphillips Liam Phillips – chief of staff watoday.com.au
@DailePepper Daile Pepper – style editor watoday.com.au
@chrisberg Chris Berg – sunday age columnist
@suzannecarbone Suzanne Carbone – The Age, Diary columnist
@jvdouglas – IT and business journalist with BRW
@eliotfish Eliot Fish – freelance games journalist, the Sun-Herald
@leongettler Leon Gettler – business management blogger The Age
@artsjourno Nicholas Pickard – theatre reviewer for the Sun-Herald and feature writer for Crikey
@nikhiljn Nikhil Jain – Online Marketing Manager, Fairfax Digital
@miafreedman Mia Freedman Essential Baby blog, columnist Sun-Herald and Sunday Age
Return to top of list

ABC

@abcmarkscott Mark Scott – managing director
@mishaketch Misha Ketch – Media Watch journalist
@mariekehardy Marieke Hardy – triple j breakfast
@myfwarhurst Myfanwy Warhurst
@kteej Kaitlyn Sawrey – triplej Hack journalist
@rosieryan Rosanna Ryan – online journalist, new media tutor at QUT
@nic_macbean Nic MacBean – journalist
@rjcooke Richard Cooke
@farlster Edwina Farley – abc rural reporter
@calebcluff Caleb Cluff – abc rural producer
@paulverhoeven Paul verhoeven – triplej
@awrd Andrew Davies – radio national producer (Future Tense, previously The Media Report)
@leighsales Leigh Sales – ABC Lateline presenter
@bruceyeah Bruce Collier – iView developer
@marcfennell Marc Fennell – Triple J film critic and ABC Local Radio
@kingleonard Leanord King – internet video specialist ABC news online
@garykemble Gary Kemble – abc journalist and blogger
@abcarticulate
@adambspencer Adam Spencer
@doctorkarl Doctor Karl
@valentine702 James Valentine
@leighsales Leigh Sales
@triplejtvdoctor Lindsay McDougall
@triplejtheking Richard Kingsmill
@vijaykhurana Vijay Khurana
@abcpool ABC Pool
@triplejbrekkie Triple J – Breakfast
@triplejdools Triple J – Dools
@jhouseparty Triple J – House Party
@triplejmornings Zan Rowe – Mornings
@shortfastloud Triple J – Short Fast Loud
@triplejsr Triple J – Super Request
@junearthed Triple J – Unearthed
@triplejhack triplej Hack
@triplejmag Jenny Valentish- jmag editor
@dellvink Amanda Dell – 612 Brisbane
@colvinius Mark Colvin – Presenter of PM, ABC Radio
@arliedouglas Arlie Douglas – Toowoomba rural radio reporter ABC
@lucethoughts Lucy Carter – triple j News Journalist,
@Peter_F_Ryan Peter Ryan – ABC Business editor
@tonywalker Tony Walker – Manager Digital Radio at Australian Broadcasting Corp
@rosiefantail Mel Campbell – private account. Also
@ftpathzeitgeist and
@the_enthusiast
@rynobi Ryan Egan – Producer/Presenter – Tech Stream (technology program), ABC Radio Australia
@grahamcairns Graham Cairns – ABC NewsRadio Web Producer
@bryceives Bryce Ives – coordinator Heywire, ABC Radio
@dt_downunder Dan Taylor – Producer, Developer
@philliprsmith Phil Smith – Saturday Breakfast for ABC Brisbane
@tanwatt Majella Watt – ABC Brisbane
@michaelturtle Michael Turtle – ABC Youth Affairs Reporter, occasional triple j newsreader
@tech_stream – Tech Stream – ABC Radio australia presented by Ryan Egan
@arliedouglas – Arlie Douglas – ABC rural radio – Toowoomba

ABC keep an “official” list of ABC Twitter accounts here, including all ABC Local accounts http://www.abc.net.au/services/twitter/accounts.htm

Return to top of list

OTHER MEDIA – organised

Crikey
@greenj Johnathan Green – editor
@sophblack Sophie Black – deputy editor
@andrewjcrook Andrew Crook – politics
@rgcooke
@firstdogonmoon – cartoonist
@margaretsimons Margaret Simons – Content Makers blog
@bernardkeane Bernard Keane – canberra political correspondent
@stilgherrian – I don?t consider myself a ?journalist?, but have sometimes used ?writer?.
@pollytics Pollytics Crikey blog
@rbbrown Ruth Brown – journalist
@elerimai Eleri Harris – journalist
@LiteraryMinded Angela Meyer – literary blogger, Bookseller+Publisher writer/ed assistant
@stephenmayne Stephen Mayne – Crikey founder, now @mayneReport

AAP
@ozy1962 Mike Osborne – editor (sydney)
@osbornep Paul Osborne – Brisbane bureau chief
@aapbrisbane Angelina Harper-Erini – Brisbane deputy bureau chief
@selinaday Selina Day
@migueldsouza Miguel D Souza
@aapcanberra – not being used yet
@aappicdesk – picture desk
@lmarti Lisa Martin – reporter

SBS
@foraggio Toby Forage – executive producer SBS sport online
@miketomalaris Michael Tomalaris ? SBS Sports presenter & Tour de France commentator
@valerioveo Valerio Veo Head of News & Current Affairs Online
@marshallheald Marshall Heald ? SBS Head of Digital
@shalailah Shalailah Medhora ? Multimedia Journalist ? SBS
@debsm Debs Majumdar ? Multimedia Journalist ? SBS
@Sonya_gee Sonya Gee ? Current Affairs Producer SBS & multimedia artist
@drKeir Keir Smith ? Technical Lead, SBS Online
@sam_ikin Sam Ikin ? Reporter, SBS World News Australia

CBS Interactive Australia
@wendy_hogan Wendy Hogan – Managing Director & Vice President
@bhaverty Brian Haverty – Editorial Director
@renailemay Renai Lemay – editor ZDnet.com.au
@randolphramsay Randolph Ramsay – Editor, GameSpot AU
@dobes Chris duckett – ZDNet.com.au, Builder AU and BNET Australia.
@troy_martinAU Troy Martin – Commercial Director, Media – CBS Interactive AU
@MlyB Emily Baxter – Marketing Director
@screelman Sarah Creelman – PR & Marketing Manager – Consumer & Entertainment, CBS Interactive

Return to top of list

OTHER MEDIA – unorganised

Some of these probably belong in a group above

@emmakenton Emma Kenton – General Manager, West Australian Publishers
@bjj4me Rinaldo De Paolis – Digital Operations Manager at West Australian Newspapers Limited
@dylanmcevoy Dylan McEvoy – The West Australian Online Editorial
@AdamAndJones Adam Jones – Freelance film writer/critic for The West Australian
@hughjm Hugh Martin – GM APN Online @wazl Warren Lee – CEO APN Online
@theburgerman John Bergin – Deputy Director of Digital News, Sky News Australia
@owenjay Owen Jacques – Daily Mercury, Mackay, business, resources, council journalist
@newsed Simon Holt – group news editor Cumberland and Courier newspaper groups
@chrisberg – editor IPA review, Sunday Age columnist
@harleyd Harley Dennett – news editor, Sydney Star Observer
@kalgoorliekid Nick Rynne – journalist Kalgoorlie Miner
@kerryn_manifold Kerryn Manifold – journalist thedaily.com.au
@paulajoye Paula Joye – magazine editor
@thetowncrier Jason Whittaker – managing editor at Trader Business Media – ACP magazines
@kateedwards Kate Edwards – makes movies for @atnmag
@kerryfinch Kerry Finch – writer
@mikeh101 Mike Hanley – Business writer, magazine journalist, AFR Boss magazine
@genrobey Genevieve Robey – editor Wotnews
@djackmanson David Jackmanson – Brisbane Blog
@natecochrane Nate Cochrane – Editor in Chief of ITNews, former IT editor of the Age.
@danwarne Dan Warne – online editor apcmag.com, freelance SMH
@bruff Nick Broughall – gizmodo journalist
@renailemay Renai LeMay – ZDnet.com.au news editor
@riskybusiness Patrick Gray – podcaster and ZDnet.au journalist
@tara_g Tara Grimshaw – video journalist
@cameronreilly Cameron Reilly – ceo the podcast network
@derekbarry Derek Barry – journalist
@jessmcguire Jess McGuire – defamer.com.au
@engochick Suzanne Tindal – ZDnet.com.au journalist
@mumbrella Tim Burrowes – media and marketing journalist
@tonyblackie Tony Blackie – brw.com.au
@sarahprout Sarah Prout – owner/director Sprout Publishing
@bruff Nick Broughall – tech journalist, gizmodo.com.au
@duncanriley Duncan Riley – editor the Inquisitr
@zarabee – PC Authority editor
@stacyfarrar Stacy Farrar – editor Cumberland Newspapers
@justiniannews Richard Ackland – editor and publisher online law journal Justinian
@swandives Georgina Swan – consumer interactivity manager at CHOICE magazine
@GlitterAshen Ros Page – Choice journo.
@grahamy Graham Young – chief editor Online Opinion
@vquinn Valens Quinn – journalist and MD of Gadget Group
@bronwen Bronwen Clune ceo and founder of norg media
@danwalsh Dan Walsh – editor Kwoff.com.au
@rod3000 Rod McGuinnes – managing editor new matilda
@madeinmelbourne – editor Green magazine, The Pun and the Pundit
@ebaxter Elissa Baxter ebaxter editor of, Go magazine, Freelance journo, blogger
@paulhansford Paul Hansford – football journalist, FourFourTwo
@csimps0n Campbell Simpson – tech journalist and reviewer at goodgearguide.com.au
@katekendall Kate Kendall – online editor marketingmag.com.au
@imtimhanlon Tim Hanlon – Assoc Editor Gizmag
@huntzie Andrew Hunter – Head of News, Sport and Finance at ninemsn
@rachelhills Rachel Hills – editor ninemsn
@charispalmer Charis Palmer – Editor Online Banking Review
@jenniferESt Jen Storey- writer for Online Banking Review
@faldo David Field – online editor atomicmpc.com.au
@jcmc Jessica Crouch – Editor, president of @synmedia
@sethyates Seth Yates – CTO of Independent Digital Media, previously CTO of Fairfax Digital
@mikedobbie Mike Dobbie – Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA)
@jonty98 Jonathan Este – MEAA journalist
@claireorourke Claire ORourke – MEAA organiser
@mjcp Matthew JC Powell – Editor of MacTheMag and writes for crn.com.au
@dr_nic Nic Healey – Managing Editor at Future Publishing
@mediahaze Rachael Bolton – staff writer, Mediaweek
@michscav Michelle Scavone – medical editor/journalist for MedConnect
@Tim_Coronel Tim Coronel – publisher, Bookseller+Publisher magazine
@mgorey Michael Gorey – Editor of The Border Watch
@princessfluffy Nikki Bradley – Producer at Fox Interactive Media (MySpace IGN AskMen)
@guymosel Guy Mosel – FHM
@SecretsHQ Michelle Matthews – Publisher of Deck of Secrets guides and contributor to Qantas Travel Insider website, Sunday magazine (News Ltd) & others
@cecilialindgren Cecilia Lindgren – News journalist by trade. Commercial Manager @ AIMIA
Return to top of list

FREELANCE

known to be freelancers or describe themselves as such

@gusworldau Angus Kidman – IT journalist
@alexkidman Alex Kidman – IT journalist
@ssharwood Simon Sharwood – freelance tech writer
@bengrubb Ben Grubb – TechWiredAu, freelance for news.com.au
@pocketmojo Anthony Caruana – freelance tech journo – The Age, Macworld, APC, PC Update
@paulzucker Paul Zucker
@markhjones Mark Jones – australian financial review, freelance tech writer
@Warlach – produced stuff for The Age, SMH, BRW, The Fin Review and The Australian
@tomatom Ed Charles – food and business journo
@riskybusiness – Patrick Gray – podcaster and writes for ZDnet
@davezed Dave Zwolenski – journalist
@musojourno Denis Semchenko – in comments requests to be known as writer (Rave magazine, Brisbane), journalist and music write
@sclepj Simon Jones
@cankles Brendon Chase – freelance digital media producer
@ncaross Nick Ross – freelancer SMH/Age/APC and owner Sproog media
@dlelkind Debbie Elkind – Journalist/Copywriter
@seamus Seamus Byrne – Former Editor at Gizmodo AU, now Midnight Update
@benhourigan Ben Hourigan
@mwikramanayake Marisa Wikramanayake – feature writer and columnist, also music beat, writing for RTR FM and The Sunday Leader
@secretsHQ Michelle Matthews – Publisher of Deck of Secrets guides and freelance
@metaverseoz David Holloway – Virtual worlds news and events
@Wolfie_Rankin Wolfie Rankin – volunteer on ABC Island in Secondlife
@rossprowd Ross Prowd – freelance / The Sportsman
@franmolloy Fran Molloy – freelance journalist for Fairfax, ABC and too many others
@AdrianMusolino Adrian Musolino – freelance sports journalist
@nicolehaddow Nicole Haddow – freelance writer and editor
@caferosamond Rose Hartley – Freelance writer, Online Editor
@mikerism101 Mike Bennie – wine, travel writer
@renbarau Renee Barnes – Freelance journalist and online journalism lecturer
@david_heath David Heath – freelance IT journo writing for ITWire
@twittymaria Maria Nguyen – freelance journo
@loopymedia Lucy Robertson – freelance writer, editor and sub
@katrinafox Katrina Fox – Freelance journalist
@roulla Roulla Yiacoumi – freelance gadget and technology journalist
@ajwight Andrew Wight – freelance science journalist

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PHOTOGRAPHERS

@cammo Cameron Laird – photographer freelances for News Ltd – The Courier Mail
@muzaloid Murray Cox – freelance photojournalist
@ysass JJ Sassine – photojournalist
@yaboo007 Joseph Sirucka – photographer for Fairfax
@trigg3rsnappy Josephine Ki – freelance
@petewallis Peter Wallis – Courier Mail
@ErikVeland Erik Veland – and from comments recommends: “@kyza, @stillpixels and @dreadfuldan are very talented Music Photographers”.
@kyza Kylie Keene – Freelance photographer [Brisbane] Triple M & B105, contributor for Rave Magazine, Fasterlouder.com.au, Hi-Fi Brisbane
@photo_journ John Le Fevre – Freelance photo-journalist (also appears in Overseas)
@danielbedford Daniel Bedford – from comments he adds:
@nicbezzina – NSW
@antzpantz – WA
@mojojay – WA
@leni_t – QLD
@cybele_m – NSW
@mattbooy – Ex JJJ Photog, now in London
@musicphotos – NSW
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RADIO

@girlclumsy Natalie Bochenski – 4BC Brisbane
@bree_r Bree Roberts – Newcastle radio journalist
@blague – rural radio journalist
@dandebuf Dan Debuf – Perth NOVA
@iamnotmatt Matt Saraceni – Perth NOVA
@meshel_laurie Meshel Laurie – NOVA Brisbane
@brisbanebrad Brad Roberts – NOVA Brisbane
@brooke079 Brooke Powell – Triple M
@thomasrdotorg Tom Reynolds – freelance motoring journo for 3AW (Fairfax radio)
@jaymueller Jay Mueller – Breakfast producer 3AW (Fairfax radio)
@dnee Denee Savoia – Nova969 Journalist/Newsreader
@joshuawither 107.3fm Radio Jock
@EmandSamMac Em Rusciano – 92.9 Breakfast show hosts of the ?Em and Sam Mac Show? (Austereo Perth)
@fortunegrey Matt Levinson – presenter of arts show Canvas
@frogworth Peter Hollo – FBi Radio, 94.5 FM in Sydney
@HannahRobertson Hannah Robertson – journalism student and news presenter on 4ZzZ (Brisbane)
@perthtones Tony Serve – currently hosting fill-ins at Fairfax/6PR, freelancing
@zipfox Charlie Fox – Program Director MIX 106.5 | 101.7 WSFM | The Edge 96.ONE Sydney
@miss_chicken Ellie Freeman – 4zzz news team, student journlaist
@marshagoldcoast Marsha Graham – Multimedia Manager for 102.9FM Hot Tomato, Gold Coast

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TELEVISION

@melissadoyle Melissa Doyle – Sunrise co-host
@davidkoch David Koch – Sunrise? No updates, no bio, but could be the Koch
@patrickcondren Patrick Condren – Channel Seven Brisbane
@tenCB Cathy Border – Channel Ten Brisbane
@benfordham Ben Fordham – A Current Affair
@andrewmontesi Andrew Montesi – Sport Reporter Channel 9 News
@superfabulous Aisha Hillary – New Media at SBS
@jamieinsydney Jamie Campbell – Foxtel General Manager, Program Publicity and Talent
@SarahAMurdoch Sarah Murdoch

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MISCELLANEOUS

(yet to be categorised – or I don’t know where they work)
@lewgus
@timdunlop Tim Dunlop – blogger Road to Surfdom, then news.com.au’s Blogacracy
@ursulajefferson Bec Madden – deputy editor
@nadine_lee Nadine Lee – Journalist
@loopymedia Lucy Robertson –
@Jen2107 Jenna Daroczy – Journo based in SE QLD
@debritz Brett Debritz – formerly Courier Mail
@vealmince Josh Mehlman – journalist
@baconchips
@joshglid Joshua Gliddon – science journo
@rodsavage Rod Savage – online journalist
@bemedia_bern B Phelan
@marisewatson Marise Watson – digital director at Yaffa
@tashlee Natasha Lee
@stuartbuchanan
@charlie69
@andygregory Andy Gregory –
@sonberg Sonia van den Berg –
@applejuicy Brisbane journalist multimedia storytelling
@nmalexander Natalie Alexander –
@lmarti Lisa Martin – melbourne journalist
@bhowarth Brad Howarth
@sholtomac Sholto Macpherson
@fergle Fergus Pitt – digital media producer
@potrm Geoff Nicholson – journalist
@davebraith Dave Braithwaite
@flavourfirst Juan-Carlo Tomas
@mark_schliebs Mark Schliebs
@kristoforlawson Kristofor Lawson – QUT journalism student, editor of enspri.com
@melissahoyer Melissa Hoyer
@barrysaunders Barry Saunders – multimedia does work for abc as well
@templesmith Ben Templesmith
@mpesce Mark Pesce – abc online, new inventors
@audaciousgloop Simon Young
@markmcdonald101 Mark McDonald – copywriter
@landeryou – journalist
@georgiaporgia Georgia Webster – broadcaster
@timdunlop Tim Dunlop – journalist
@smallkathryn Kathryn Small
@johnlacey John Lacey – writer/photographer
@benjaminhaslem Benjamin Haslem
@jacquimunn – Adelaide journalist
@terryjohal Terry Johal
@clint_t Clint Thomas – sports journo footygoss.com
@mspennypink Penny Brand – brisbane journalist
@chelsea_hunter Chelsea Hunter – editor, writer (music, film, health, pop culture)
@rachelhills Rachel Hills
@melbsmudges Melbourne Smudges
@undercover Paul Cashmere – music news
@dacheah
@justads
@lynchy
@sophiebenjamin
@rule17 Steven Lewis
@lifemusicmedia Stuart Blythe
@melissahoyer
@johnfossey
@brendenwood
@chelsea_mes
@scriber Naomi Stekelenberg
@jen_bennett Jen Bennet

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ACADEMICS

@julie_posetti Julie Posetti – journalism at University of Canberra
@mgawenda Michael Gawenda – former editor, now academic
@sraquinn Stephen Quinn – Deakin university journalism academic, specialises in mobile journalism, or mojo. Also
@globalmojo
@themediapod Ross Monaghan – Deakin University lecturer
@wespot Earle Bridger – lecturer in photojournalism at Griffith University
@marykozlovski Mary Kozlovski – SYN
@landunn Ann Lund – journalism at QUT
@snoozen Susan Hetherington – associate lecturer journalism at QUT
@wendybacon1 Wendy Bacon – journalist and academic at University of Technology, Sydney where the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism is based
@PhilStubbsTeach Phil Stubbs – lecturer in digital media, online journalism and advertising
@wendyldavis Wendy Davis – television studies researcher. She works at a regional university in Queensland, Australia
@lzion Lawrie Zion – coordinator of Bachelor of Journalism and Master of Global Communications degree programs at La Trobe uni
@qutnews Queensland University of Technology
@rmitv RMIT
@uommedia University of Melbourne
@nowuc University of Canberra

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AUSTRALIANS OVERSEAS

and a few NZ journos listed by others

@JuhaSaarinen Juha Saarinen – New Zealand journalist
@dizzymum Bronwyn Marquardt Australian journalist in New Zealand
@tburton Tom Burton – formerly SMH, now living in Washington
@sdbrook Stephen Brook – Australian working in London for the Media Guardian
@mediamum Jo White – grad student and TA at SJMC Uni of Colorado at Boulder
@jedwhite Jed White – previous Editor-in-Chief of APC and Publishing Director at ACP. Married to @mediamum
@rww Richard McManus – ReadWriteWeb
@hamishreporter Hamish Macdonald – presenter and correspondent Aljazeera English
@rosevines Rose Vines – freelance writer, writes mostly for Australian PC User and Office Watch, working in New Orleans.
@photo_journ John Le Fevre – Freelance photo-journalist – currently based in Bangkok
@ashbetteridge Ashlee Betteridge – Former Village Voice (Sydney) journalist, now living in Indonesia working at the Jakarta Globe English daily
@niltiac Caitlin Fitzsimmons – in London
@HelenBradley Helen Bradley – expat Australian, freelancer ACP ? PC User mag
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BLURB

If you have been missed, and undoubtedly you will have been missed – please add yourself in the comments. Provide Twitter ID, name, where you work (or freelance), role (round or beat for a journo, designer, editor, graphic artist… whatever you like) if you have one or topic area you like to freelance in Not that you have to be genuine – @andrewbolt, @mirandadevine, @gerardhenderson…etc There are probably more News Ltd people than others because I’ve collated this list mostly on the fly, which has happened to bring me across more people in News Ltd circles. It’s likely there will be crossover in some of the categories, where I’m not sure who someone works for, particularly freelancers. I’m sorry if I’ve missed you and you wanted to be here. I’m not so sorry if I’ve listed you here and you wanted to quietly lurk, undisturbed or unknown amongst the growing black cloud that is the approaching Twitter flock. New media is open and social. You’ve put yourself out there on Twitter – embrace it.

A few other lists of Australian and New Zealand journalists are available, and can be found at:

• TrackVia
• laurelpapworth.com
• Trevor Cook on Crikey
• Bill Bennet’s list of New Zealand media people on Twitter
• @aujournos – Australian Journos – has been set up to follow professional Australian journalists on Twitter. The list of journos is found simply by looking at who @aujournos is following.

You might find some of the accounts listed in my list above are deleted, or no longer active. I’ve left some inactive ones in the list because I think they provide some insight to the early attempts of Australian news media to come to grips with how Twitter could work. My first post looking at
Australian Media Organisations on Twitter was in March 2008, but obviously things have changed dramatically in 12 months. The following will provide a more up-to-date list of media organisations on Twitter: A-Z of Australian media using Twitter : http://fanbloodytastic.com/top100/media/a-z

To more accurately reflect this post’s title, Australia’s Top 100 Journalists and News Media People on Twitter, the list here has been trimmed back to who I consider to be the top 100 Australian journalists and news media people on Twitter.

News Limited
@jg_rat John Grey – editor couriermail.com.au
@jendudley Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson – Technology reporter and blogger The Courier-Mail
@lyndalcairns Lyndal Cairns – online editor couriermail.com.au
@cowspanker David Higgins – Editor news.com.au
@rodpeno Rod Peno – Social Media Producer at News Digital Media
@penbo David Penberthy – editor of The Punch, former editor of the Daily Telegraph
@colgo Paul Colgan – Managing Editor of The Punch
@diversionary Simon Wright – designer news.com.au
@aramadge Andrew Ramadge – news.com.au technology reporter
@newsbee Lanai Vasek -news.com.au business owner editor
@edmundtadros Edmund Tadros – news.com.au business editor
@mclayfield Matthew Clayfield – journalist The Australian
@sarahelks Sarah Elks – Brisbane-based journalist The Australian
@meadea Amanda Meade – Media journalist The Australian
@sally_jackson Sally Jackson – Media journalist The Australian
@joe_hildebrand Joe Hildebrand – Daily Telegraph blogger
@cate3221 Cate Swannell – Gold Coast Bulletin journalist
@rodsavage Rod Savage – AdelaideNow editor

Fairfax
@JohnBirmingham John Birmingham – blogging with Brisbane Times
@valeriekhoo Valerie Khoo – enterprise blogger
@annabelcrabb Annabel Crabb
@ashermoses Asher Moses – technology journalist
@curious_scribe Glenda Kwek – journalist and multimedia
@brontegirl Kimberley Porteous – multimedia editor
@paulwiggins Paul Wiggins – online editor
@lucasng Lucas Ng – search and analytics director fairfax digital
@kuns Mike van Niekirk – editor-in-chief online – fairfax media
@jvdouglas – IT and business journalist with BRW
@miafreedman Mia Freedman Essential Baby blog, columnist Sun-Herald and Sunday Age

ABC
@abcmarkscott Mark Scott – managing director
@mariekehardy Marieke Hardy – triple j breakfast
@myfwarhurst Myfanwy Warhurst – ABC
@kteej Kaitlyn Sawrey – triplej Hack journalist
@rosieryan Rosanna Ryan – ABC online journalist, new media tutor at QUT
@nic_macbean Nic MacBean – ABC journalist
@paulverhoeven Paul verhoeven – triplej
@awrd Andrew Davies – ABC Radio National producer (Future Tense, previously The Media Report)
@leighsales Leigh Sales – ABC Lateline presenter
@marcfennell Marc Fennell – Triple J film critic and ABC Local Radio
@kingleonard Leanord King – internet video specialist ABC news online
@garykemble Gary Kemble – ABC journalist and blogger
@dellvink Amanda Dell – 612 ABC Brisbane
@colvinius Mark Colvin – Presenter of PM, ABC Radio

Crikey
@greenj Johnathan Green – editor Crikey
@BernardKeane Bernard Keane – Crikey
@andrewjcrook Andrew Crook – politics
@firstdogonmoon – Crikey cartoonist
@margaretsimons Margaret Simons – Content Makers blog at Crikey and academic
@stilgherrian – I don’t consider myself a “journalist”, but have sometimes used “writer”

@stephenmayne Stephen Mayne – Crikey founder, now @mayneReport
@aapbrisbane Angelina Harper-Erini – AAP Brisbane deputy bureau chief
@migueldsouza Miguel D Souza – AAP
@renailemay Renai Lemay – editor ZDnet.com.au
@hughjm Hugh Martin – GM APN Online @wazl Warren Lee – CEO APN Online
@theburgerman John Bergin – Deputy Director of Digital News, Sky News Australia
@owenjay Owen Jacques – Daily Mercury, Mackay, business, resources, council journalist
@newsed Simon Holt – group news editor Cumberland and Courier newspaper groups
@harleyd Harley Dennett – news editor, Sydney Star Observer
@thetowncrier Jason Whittaker – managing editor at Trader Business Media – ACP magazines
@genrobey Genevieve Robey – editor Wotnews
@natecochrane Nate Cochrane – Editor in Chief of ITNews, former IT editor of the Age.
@danwarne Dan Warne – online editor apcmag.com, freelance SMH
@bruff Nick Broughall – gizmodo journalist
@riskybusiness Patrick Gray – podcaster and ZDnet.au journalist
@tara_g Tara Grimshaw – video journalist
@cameronreilly Cameron Reilly – ceo the podcast network
@derekbarry Derek Barry – journalist
@mumbrella Tim Burrowes – media and marketing journalist
@duncanriley Duncan Riley – editor the Inquisitr
@grahamy Graham Young – chief editor Online Opinion
@bronwen Bronwen Clune ceo and founder of norg media
@rod3000 Rod McGuinnes – managing editor new matilda
@charispalmer Charis Palmer – Editor Online Banking Review
@jenniferESt Jen Storey- writer for Online Banking Review
@jcmc Jessica Crouch – Editor, president of @synmedia
@mjcp Matthew JC Powell – Editor of MacTheMag and writes for crn.com.au
@dr_nic Nic Healey – Managing Editor at Future Publishing
@gusworldau Angus Kidman – IT journalist
@alexkidman Alex Kidman – IT journalist
@ssharwood Simon Sharwood – freelance tech writer
@bengrubb Ben Grubb – TechWiredAu, freelance for news.com.au
@pocketmojo Anthony Caruana – freelance tech journo – The Age, Macworld, APC, PC Update
@markhjones Mark Jones – australian financial review, freelance tech writer
@seamus Seamus Byrne – Former Editor at Gizmodo AU, now Midnight Update
@cammo Cameron Laird – photographer freelances for News Ltd – The Courier Mail
@muzaloid Murray Cox – freelance photojournalist
@yaboo007 Joseph Sirucka – photographer for Fairfax
@girlclumsy Natalie Bochenski – 4BC Brisbane
@rodsavage Rod Savage – online journalist
@julie_posetti Julie Posetti – journalism at University of Canberra
@sraquinn Stephen Quinn – Deakin university journalism academic, specialises in mobile journalism, or mojo.
@themediapod Ross Monaghan – Deakin University lecturer
@sdbrook Stephen Brook – Australian working in London for the Media Guardian
@mediamum Jo White – grad student and TA at SJMC Uni of Colorado at Boulder
@hamishreporter Hamish Macdonald – presenter and correspondent Aljazeera English
@photo_journ John Le Fevre – Freelance photo-journalist – currently based in Bangkok
@ashbetteridge Ashlee Betteridge – Former Village Voice (Sydney) journalist, now living in Indonesia working at the Jakarta Globe English daily
@niltiac Caitlin Fitzsimmons – in London

Stephanie Sword, a Griffith University communications student, asked me a few questions for an assignment. Below are Stephanie’s questions and my answers about Citizen Journalism: read on to see my comments on the term itself, and generally where I think the “citizen” fits in the evolving media environment.

Stephanie: As a professional journalist, how do you feel citizen journalism is radically reforming/challenging traditional journalism?

Dave: I’ve said this elsewhere, but I think citizen journalism is both a challenge and a benefit to traditional journalism. The traditional journalist/s can’t be everywhere. Not only can they not be everywhere in physical location, but they also can’t be everywhere in terms of local/inside knowledge about the players and/or access to them. While it might take professional journalists to distil the news into something short and consumable, citizen journalists can either be there more quickly, or are already there because they are simply involved in the story.

In the age of media convergence, how does the role of a ‘citizen journalist’ differ from that of a professional journalist?

Defining a citizen journalist is going to be difficult. Is the citizen journalist the person who calls themselves that, and makes an attempt to get to stories, find stories and produce content about those stories? I would argue that if someone calls themselves a “citizen journalist”, and makes an attempt to be at stories, or cover news, then they are going to be more of a freelance journalist. The difference is that Citizen Journalists don’t do “journalism” or “news” reporting as their job. They have real jobs.

I would say the citizen journalist is the person who just happens to be there and records an event occurring, whether by photo/video/audio or text. Instantaneous “text” citizen journalism might be something like Twitter updates, so include the Denver plane crash, the Hudson River plane crash or the Mumbai bombings, where someone has posted text online (in these cases on Twitter).  At the same time instantaneously there can be images posted online (via Twitter-based services or Flickr). [Yes, those links are shamelessly only to News Ltd content].

So the role difference is huge. Citizen journalists are likely to simply be recording an event they have witnessed or been involved in, and generally making that content available online. When they make it available online, it’s most likely to be in the same way they share their lives online with family and friends through a variety of social networks. Putting it online won’t be for the purpose of being citizen journalists, and I can’t imagine anyone would want to call themselves citizen journalists.

Should media outlets actively encourage citizens to become amateur reporters by using new digital media technologies? What are the benefits of soliciting viewer input into news programs?

I don’t think they should encourage people to become “amateur reporters”, they should encourage people to share their content for some of the reasons already mentioned – they’re there when mainstream media can’t be, and they’re the people the story is happening to. People will be amateur reporters if they want to be, but I’d say there are very few people who would want to describe themselves as that. It’s semantics, but I think that specific terminology would likely turn people off. The benefit of soliciting public content is that it is content the news program or site would not have, and it’s also newsworthy content that otherwise might have never been seen by the wider public.

There is always going to be a struggle with mainstream media not just using that sort of content because it’s available (although not freely available, it’s still subject to copyright) and published on the web, but also having the hubris to decide which of it is the most important to show. Naturally, advocates of the semantic web argue that if the content is already going to be made available on the web, mainstream media shouldn’t have to “aggregate” it, because suitable information systems will be in place that will automatically present individually relevant information. But we’re not there, and mainstream media will continue to present to the public what it thinks is important, interesting, and/or will make them money.

What are some of the issues of relying on public eyewitness accounts as news suitable for broadcast? Can you clarify the difference between a citizen journalist and an eyewitness?

The issue of relying on public eyewitness accounts for news for broadcast is that you might have no way of verifying the person knows what they’re talking about, was even present when the incident occurred, or has not manufactured a fake news event. Similarly there’s the chance, and it will happen, that PR will move into the realm and submit subtle marketing or positive spin material (see my co. If you’re asking about relying on public content (user generated content) for broadcast, the actual provision of UGC is fairly infrequent, so can’t be relied on as a basis for news. In terms of relying on UGC as “broadcast quality”, like grainy video from a phone, I don’t think it’s an issue. No matter how bad the “quality” of the content, if it’s compelling you use it.
I don’t know if I can clarify the difference, but I think I can suggest the difference between a citizen journalist and an eyewitness is that a citizen journalist has recorded the event in some fashion – audio, video, or still image. An eyewitness is perhaps just that, someone who has seen an event but not recorded it in any other way, so can only relay what they have seen. The difference then is that you listen to a first-hand account as it is told by an eyewitness. A citizen journalist can still do that, but I would think they would also present some kind of material to go along with that. Again, as in the last question, I don’t know about media using the term “citizen journalist”. If someone who provides content wants to think of themselves as a “citizen journalist” and call themselves that, let them claim that.

There was a fifth question, but I’ve asked Stephanie for an explanation of what the question is going for. I may update this post at some point if I have an answer for that question.

Stephanie asked me for the interview because, in her words, “you represent the next generation of journalists, where these approaches are much-more integrated with your work than say my generation (journalism was very different when I was first in uni in the late 80s, early 90s)”.

Thanks Stephanie! Also, this was an email exchange interview.

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• User generated content and citizen journalism (Online Journalism lesson #4) (onlinejournalismblog.com)

PANPA - Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers Association

Based on a survey of six students, they listed Facebook as the media outlet most accessed.

They asked for feedback, so I provided it. Basically, the survey would be interesting if it was expanded to as many students as possible, and actually ask questions about what aspects of social networking use they consider to be news consumption, or news related.

My comment:

Not disagreeing, just interested to know if Facebook was chosen as a media outlet or just a site visited (as top five media outlets).

Saw what was written re: Facebook, so by gossip did you mean gossip/entertainment news was being seen through Facebook, or was hard(er) news also looked at?
And how are students accessing that news through Facebook (news RSS apps/widgets, media outlet fan pages, wall posts, link recommendations from friends, etc)?

In a wider survey of the 18-25 demographic that would be interesting, but also moving the question beyond just Facebook, to social networking in general and other specific sites people might use.

Whether the news was gossip and entertainment, or more serious news, is somewhat less important at this point than how it is being accessed. I’m sure a study like this has been done. If not I challenge someone in academia, whose job it is to study how people interact with and share news media online, to conduct that survey and share its results.

A practical look at how different demographics interact and share news online can, at the very least, help inform decisions about more effective news distribution online, whether for large corporations or individual journalists trying to get a story seen.

If such a survey or report has been done and is old news, apologies, and a link to the study in the comments would be much appreciated!
—————

Slightly unrelated:
PANPA also have a “podcast” on their site which I have yet to listen to, having seen it just a few hours ago. My only problem is, I would argue that a podcast requires the ability to automatically download new updates using something like iTunes. That would require RSS to be present.

There are quite a few very good interviewees listed, which I will download to listen to, but it’s not immediately apparent how old, or new, the interviews are.

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• Facebook usage – dominated by young audience, despite older demographics growing quickly (nickburcher.com)
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“i removed my follow of @guykawasaki as it just seemed to be twitter spam not a conversation.”

Guy obviously tracks his mentions because within five minutes he replied to Darryl.
You can read the exchange here, and see a screengrab below, but basically Guy didn’t seem to take it to well, for a guy with over 50,000 followers at the time. 21 days later and Guy Kawasaki now has 62,000 followers on Twitter.

I bring it up, because again Guy Kawasaki is being accused of Twitter spam. This time by UK/Europe TechCrunch editor Mike Butcher who, obviously not holding back, told Guy “you have nothing to say”.

A search of @guykawasaki spam or guy kawasaki spam shows a little of what some people are thinking about Guy and his Alltop content in Twitter.
I assume in this post that most people know what Twitter is. Guy Kawasaki was accused of Twitter spam because many of the links being posted in his ‘personal’ twitter account were not in fact posted by him.
They are a collection of links, automatically posted in many cases. You can read Guy Kawasaki’s Twitter strategy here in a Paddy Donnelly interview, and also on his blog, Guy Kawasaki: How to Use Twitter as a Twool.
Guy obviously believes in the validity of that strategy, recently suggesting four pages of just his links represented better value than four pages of personal updates from other Twitter users, in a response to Twitter user Jason Aten. Again, Guy seems to get very defensive about his Twitter strategy being described as spamming.
It also presents an interesting situation where Twitter founder Biz Stone is said to have suggested one way of monetising the platform could be to charge brands for “commercial accounts”. That link raced around Twitter, and I questioned at what point individuals like Stephen Fry or Darren Rowse get tagged as brands in Twitter. All the speculation prompted a reply from Biz Stone on the Twitter blog saying Twitter will remain free.
Guy Kawasaki is one who, clearly, believes the @guykawasaki Twitter account is business, not personal. As such, would he qualify as a “brand”? Again, in responding to TechCrunch UK/Europe editor Mike Butcher, you can see Guy fills his feed with commercial links “Because there is no business model for strictly wit and insight. Twitter is a work, not a diversion.”

This entire post came as a result of seeing Mike Butcher’s tweet asking why Guy Kawasaki did not let the @guykawasaki account simply express his wit and insight.
I unfollowed Guy Kawasaki on Twitter a week or two ago. That’s cool. Following him was my choice, as was unfollowing him.

If you follow me on Twitter, and ever think what I put out is spam, or unwanted, let me know. I claim to Twitter about online journalism and new media, but there’s a lot of blather thrown in as well, for example “Arise, and hie thee to #btub coffee! On my way there now”.
Not groundbreaking.

Image by Nimages DR via Flickr

Originally from my auto-posting daily Delicious links, I have cut this back to just the link I have added comment to. This is in preparation for a blog redesign, where I no longer want posts titled “links for YYYY-MM-DD”. A live stream of Delicious links will also always be available in a sidebar widget and/or stand-alone page.

Go to CJR to read their brief introduction to what is more of a newsroom discussion being conducted in the comments. There are some good points made.

This is my initial reaction…
Online news has been in various places (including the recent MEAA Future of Journalism report) described as more “event-driven”, with a lack of analysis that has formerly balanced out the print edition. I disagree that all news has been balanced in that way.

“a reporter showed up from an outlet thatshall remain nameless asking about an incident that happened 20 minutes earlier and four blocks away. …Local MSM: either figure itout or die trying.”

The nightly broadcast TV news has always been event-driven, as has the hourly bulletin radio news. Deeper analysis has been left to long-form programs with a focus on investigation. With that in mind I say that yes, like other forms of news, Twitter is event-driven. It conveys the immediacy of what is happening in the form of live text updates but it is just that, one form, one medium of choice to convey information. It is a form that is useful in lieu of other forms that may be preferable, like live vision (via TV or web streaming), or at length descriptions of events that have unfolded so far, and explanations of the circumstances surrounding an event.

In the comments at CJR, many people are worried about the face value with which Twitter updates might influence a reporter’s understanding of an event, while others rightly say it should be treated much the same as a member of the public calling something in – it needs to be able to be verified. Just like local contacts, however, a journalist can also be building up trusted social networking contacts, whose news tips or inside word a journalist might be willing to accept at face value.

Journalists have never underestimated the value of sources, and social networking sources should be treated the same. Digital media may have created a different world to one most journalists are familiar with, but some things remain the same – journalists have contacts they regularly communicate with, with whom they build relationships. There may be casual contacts who only occasionally pass on an interesting bit of news, and then others with more clout who are an immense help to getting an inside story. With a vast array of experts and contacts available online, particularly through social networks, Twitter is just one of those essential tools.

But I digress.

Journalists should use Twitter:

• to find contacts
• to maintain and communicate with contacts and their audience
• to monitor keywords relevant to their round (their beat, for my American friends)
• to monitor updates around a specific geographic location.

A journalist might want to monitor Twitter updates by location to be aware of anything significant mentioned in their local area (like an emergency), or because a significant event will be taking place in a specific location, like the Republican National Convention.

I mention that because one of the best things I read recently about the possible use of Twitter as an “event-driven” source was its use at the RNC, and how mainstream media was left far behind.

In a Poynter post a few months ago, Twitter: Surprise Star of RNC Coverage, two quotes stood out.

Albert Maruggi observed: “[Twitter is] the police scanner of 21st century newsroom. This from a guy that used to rewrite AP copy for 11pm newscast.”

Currently assigned to the enviable police desk reporting round, I enjoyed this analogy. Like a scanner, Twitter is a non-stop flow of information; if your ear isn’t attuned, or you’re not listening to the right frequency, you could easily miss a big story in all the static.

The second quote in the Poynter piece on Twitter was from “One local resident, Minneapolis Michael,” who said on Tumblr, in a post titled, How Twitter changed my RNC experience:

“…Every local media outlet needs to do what the Pioneer Press is doing. By using their Twitter account as a place to post links to stories and place them in context, it gives me a credible local source AND they are looked upon favorably by the Twitterverse.
[...snip...]
I will leave you with one anecdotal piece of evidence: As I was at a street corner downtown Saint Paul checking my feed to see where the next hotspot was, a reporter showed up from an outlet thatshall remain nameless asking about an incident that happened 20 minutes earlier and four blocks away. …Local MSM: either figure itout or die trying.”

In future posts I plan to expand on some of the ways I use social networking – particularly Twitter – as a journalist, and some of the tools that help in that use.

What I worry about is when an over-enthusiastic marketer, or just someone out to wreak havoc, executes a coordinated “Twitter attack” designed to play the mainstream media for a fool. How long till we see the first fake emergency or breaking news scam go worldwide in a matter of minutes through Twitter?

You can also read through the live Future of Journalism tweets from various people on the day.

What I’m providing here is just a quick video of a question I asked of news.com.au editor David Higgins about the use of social networking tools for newsgathering.

Video after the jump…

About the conference itself, there wasn’t really a great deal suggested in the way of what the future might actually hold for ‘journalism’. Although for newspapers, a comment by David Higgins is worth noting. He said that more morning commuters were moving to mobile phones for their news instead of newspapers, and suggested the future of the weekday paper in physical form could be in doubt.

“Monday to Friday, I don’t think the outlook’s very good,” he said.

In the process of asking a question from the floor earlier David said that, since they started promoting news.com.au as an iPhone optimised site, traffic was up by more than 50,000 hits per month.

On Monday I hit 700 Twitter updates since signing up to Twitter just over 12 months ago. Since Monday I have posted another 125+ updates, reaching nearly 300 updates in the first 11 days of September. Excessive?

From my Twitter graph it’s obvious I reached the Twitter tipping point towards the end of August, when I first actually engaged with Twitter – entering the conversation, and the community. Since then it has taken off. At first I followed the people I thought most influential in new media, but my Twitter use increased as I discovered more people in the ICT field in general, particularly in Australia and Brisbane. Twitter uptake in the Brisbane region has grown quite a bit recently – 1400+ who have entered Brisbane as their location – although actual Twitter use is, for the most part, infrequent. By grown, I have only my memory to compare that number against the last time I searched ‘Brisbane’ in Twitter.

So while blog posts and updates have been slow here on the webpage, I have not disappeared off the face of the earth, perhaps just into the murk of the Twitterverse. It’s not a bad place to be though – very good for keeping up, in real time, with the happenings of your industry (if you follow the updates of people and topics you are interested in).

I don’t use Twitter to communicate with family and friends, because most of them have never heard of it and, even of those that have, none of them use it.

As a journalist, Twitter has helped me not just in finding a few stories from people I follow, but has also started to help me find stories on certain topics using searches. I’ll go into that a little more in a later post.

In the meantime, I do have a few other blog posts in the works, and I hope they’ll spruce up this drab page in the very near future.

If you’re from Brisbane and use Twitter, @btub will let you know when there are Brisbane Twitter user meetups. As of this writing I haven’t been to the one that happened since I became active on Twitter, but there is one happening this weekend.

On Twitter I am @earleyedition, and you can see some of my recent Twitter posts in the right sidebar.

To watch the video, go to acidlabs, where you can also see a video of Jay Rosen defining citizen journalism. I would embed, but for some reason embedded video has been breaking my page recently.

SABEW
45th Annual Conference
April 27-29, Sheraton Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD

USING SOCIAL NETWORKING IN BUSINESS REPORTING

Jay Rosen, New York University and author of PressThink blog

It’s not about the technology … The whole art of doing any kind of social network reporting is in organizing people

This is one of the most important things about the internet. This is one of the things that’s changing the world most profoundly today – is the falling costs for people with the same interests, or people of like mind, to find each other, share information, pool their knowledge, collaborate, and publish.
I’m going to say it again. The falling cost for like minded people to find each other, share information, collaborate and publish back to the rest of the world, is a major factor changing government, politics, media, social life – at the same time.

USING SOCIAL NETWORKING TOOLS TO IMPROVE THE REPORTING OF A BEAT REPORTER

We’re trying to figure out how we can use Gillmore’s insights, and the tools that we have now – like blogging, social networking tools – to actually improve the reporting that a beat reporter does on their

the potential is there to mobilize thousands of people on a single story

beat, and we’re several months into that project, and I can tell you some of what we’ve learned from it.

LESSON ONE: SLOW & DIFFICULT WORK, NO BREAKTHROUGHS TO REPORT
Our first lesson is that this is slow and difficult work, and that we don’t have any breakthroughs so far. That it’s a lot easier to understand the concept ‘My readers know more than I do’, than it is to work out a regimen in which that knowledge can actually flow in and start influencing the articles, and scoops, and series and so forth. So it’s slow and difficult work. We don’t have breakthroughs to report yet.

LESSON TWO: THERE IS NO FORMULA
Secondly there is, and I know this is frustrating, no formula for doing it yet. Because we can’t easily point to somebody who uses social network reporting to complete their beat every day.

LESSON THREE: ECONOMIC REALITY LIMITS TIME TO DEVOTE TO SOMETHING NEW
Third, one of the things we’ve learned is, in the current economic climate in most newsrooms, especially in newspapers, reporters are under a great deal of pressure. They not only have to produce on deadline, they have to produce more than they used to. And, despite their enthusiasm for this project when they signed up for it in November, the economic realities of the newsroom are such that many of them have almost no time to devote to something new.
And this is very much getting in the way because the immediate pay-offs in terms of scoops, meeting your production quotas or breaking big stories so that you can explain to your bosses why you’re putting time into your network are not really there, so this has become very frustrating for some of our people and it’s very much a sign of the times and a sign of the economic climate out there.

LESSON FOUR: IT’S NOT ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY
My fourth lesson is by far the most important lesson that I’ve learned in this work.
It’s not about the technology. It’s not about what tools you use. It’s not about which blogging software you adopt. It’s not at all about whether you should use Facebook or Twitter or some of the other technologies that are out there. The whole art of doing any kind of social network reporting is in organizing people, and how people are engaged to help journalists, rather than the tools and technologies we have for reaching those people. And it’s hard to overestimate how important this is and how easy it is to forget it.

LESSON FIVE: THE TEN PER CENT RULE
The fifth important lesson is sometimes called, among those who study user-generated content, the ten per cent rule. The ten per cent rule is that if 100 people sign up for your network, if 100 people sign up for your citizen journalism project, about 10 of them will actually contribute anything in terms of content. Whether it’s a blog post, whether it’s comments in a thread, whether it’s tips sent in by email, about ten per cent will actively contribute. And one of those ten will become an extremely committed contributor, what is sometimes called super-contributors in online organizing.

THE CHALLENGE: GIVING YOUR AUDIENCE SOMETHING TO DO
And so the real challenge is not getting people to sign up or participate, it’s figuring out how to give them stuff they can do that actually makes its way into your report, so they can see the results of what they do. And if you can do that, people will participate.

THE POTENTIAL: MOBILIZING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ON A SINGLE STORY
And so if you want to know why am I here talking to you about this, it’s because the potential is there to mobilize thousands of people on a single story.

WWW.TALKINGPOINTSMEMO.COM – a model internet news site
The model of an internet news organization is this one, because it is completely involved in filtering, processing, editing this huge inflow from readers, packaging it as news stories and blog posts, sending it back out which in turn stimulates more inflow from the readers.