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“Four Questions With …” is a monthly series of interviews with different social media and community editors in the news industry.

So, what is it like to be a social media or community editor? What are the job responsibilities and how does one end up landing such a gig? The goal of “Four Questions With …” is to answer some of these questions and to give insight into what is a new and constantly evolving field.

This month, we talked to Matthew Keys, the deputy social media editor at Reuters. If there’s breaking news happening, you can bet Keys has already sent out a tweet about it or is posting about it on his Tumblr. In fact, you probably know him better as@ProducerMatthew.

Keys’ coverage and news aggregation of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, which he did while unemployed, nabbed him a nomination for an Online News Association award for breaking news excellence. (We also profiled Keys back in March 2011.)

Keys joined the Reuters team, led by Anthony De Rosa, as its deputy social media editor in January. Previously, he worked at various California-based news organizations as an online news producer and interactive and mobile director. At Reuters, Keys is mainly responsible with publishing to the news organization’s different social platforms and coaching the staff on best social practices.

Here are his thoughts on the social media, journalism, and what news outlets need to do in order to be leaders in the social field. Read more

Author and journalist Susan Orlean (left) has written two nonfiction pieces that have been turned into films. She’ll discuss her new book, Rin Tin Tin, in Mediabistro’s first online Literary Festival & Workshops starting July 16. Other speakers include Rebecca Skloot, Jason Boog, and Jason Allen Ashlock. Register now.

“Four Questions With …” is a monthly series of interviews with different social media and community editors in the news industry.

So, what is it like to be a social media or community editor? What are the job responsibilities and how does one end up landing such a gig? The goal of “Four Questions With …” is to answer some of these questions and to give insight into what is a new and constantly evolving field.

For our March edition, we sat down with Chris Hamilton, the social media editor for BBC News. He’s held the role since June 2011, taking over from his predecessor, Alex Gubbay. Hamilton joined BBC News in 2000 after a few years working as a reporter at the Press Association. While at BBC News, Hamilton has worked on the Specials Team, as planning editor for the organization’s websites, and helped organize BBC News’ coverage of the last general election in the U.K.

Here are Hamilton’s thoughts on social media editors, journalism, and the recent backlash the BBC received last month in response to updating a part of its social media guidelines on breaking news and Twitter.  Read more

Kate Bolick became something of a household name when The Atlantic published her nine-page, 12,000-plus-word cover story on the economics of dating, “All The Single Ladies,” last November.

Not only did the piece score her a book and TV deal, but she said the feedback from readers has been overwhelmingly positive — and, in some cases, life-changing.

“One of my favorite responses was from a man in his sixties with a 35-year-old daughter, saying that she’s lovely, intelligent, she’s the apple of his eye, and she is not married and has no intention of getting married — a point of concern for him and his wife,” Bolick told mediabistro.com for its “Hey, How’d You Do That?” series. “But, after reading the article, they don’t feel concerned anymore… It was very sweet that he had just come in to this new way of thinking towards his daughter and was then applying it to me.”

Read the full interview to get Bolick’s tips for successful freelancing and share your comments below.  What’s the best piece of feedback you ever received for an article?

“Four Questions With …” is an occasional series of interviews with different social media and community editors in the news industry.

So, what is it like to be a social media or community editor? What are the job responsibilities and how does one end up landing such a gig? The goal of “Four Questions With …” is to answer some of these questions and to give insight into what is a new and constantly evolving field.

This month, we chatted with Mark Johnson, The Economist’s community editor based in its London office. He joined the well-respected news magazine in June 2010 after working in publishing, developing digital strategy at HarperCollins in London.

Here are Johnson’s thoughts on community, social media and journalism. Read more

This powerhouse editor has five successful mag stints under her belt, and The Hollywood Reporter marks a successful number six. So what does Janice Min believe is the key to success?

Making yourself indispensable and being willing to work your way up.

“I remember when I would interview people, even for an editorial assistant job, and you would ask them, ‘What do you want to do?’ And when they say ‘I want to be an editor-in-chief one day,’ it’s such a turn off,” she told us. “Immediately in your mind you’re like, ‘OK. This is someone who feels entitled who is not going to want to work very hard.’ People who are so obvious at wanting the glory usually don’t want to put in the work for it.”

Read more in So What Do You Do, Janice Min, Editorial Director of The Hollywood Reporter? and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Is it a bad idea for young journos to be so vocal about their ambitions?