As journalists, we are used to asking hard-hitting questions and writing up engaging prose. But, in the age of technology and the Internet, we need to know a few more tools in order to stay relevant and appeal to tech-savvy audiences. Simply tweeting or putting a collage on Pinterest isn’t enough — reporters must also leverage those technologies to stay ahead of the curve.
“[Journalists] are increasingly being required to take away from time doing actual reporting to do a million other things like community building… promoting their stories… and so they will be required to engage in some of that stuff,” said Menachem Wecker, a Virginia-based education reporter at U.S. News & World Report.
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So, whether you’re looking for a new gig or just trying to keep your existing one, here are a handful of skills you absolutely, positively, without a doubt should have in your arsenal (and on your resume). Feel free to add your own in the comments section.
By now, everyone knows that Twitter allows 140 characters per post, but how long should your tweet really be? Considering that a retweet from your readers will include the original post and your handle, the shorter, the better.
“If you want to share a link, shorten it first,” writes AllTwitter’s Shea Bennett in his post, “10 Must-Learn Lessons for Twitter Newbies.” “Use bit.ly (or Twitter’s internal shortener) to shorten long links into 20 characters. This gives you 100 characters of free space to talk about what’s inside that link.”
Once you’ve written the perfect post, monitor how well it does through platforms like Chartbeat and Google Analytics. Find out how many shares you’re getting through Facebook posts or whether Twitter fans are actually reading your stories or just retweeting them. Then, take it a step further and promote your stories during the times of day when your audience is the largest. Tweetdeck will let you “future post” updates, as will other apps like Twuffer or twitmessenger.
Now that social media is no longer just a fad, your goal should be to familiarize yourself with any and all platforms that will bolster the efficacy of your accounts.
| “[Journalists] are increasingly being required to take away from time doing actual reporting to do a million other things.” |
2. Photo Editing
With the popularity of visuals online (Pinterest, slideshows) and in mobile (Instagram, anyone?), knowing how to create and modify art for your stories means getting your stories out faster and, possibly, wider.
“It’s unfortunate that many publications are expecting their reporters and freelancers to___take on the role of photographer and photo editor, but that’s the reality,” said Wecker.
Although freelancers may find Photoshop a costly investment, it’s not the only program out there. You can grasp some photo-editing basics with Google’s Picasa and Adobe Photoshop Express, which is perfect for when you need to post a photo on location. Whatever graphics program you use, you’ll want to learn how to do things like crop, resize and reduce red eye.
Let’s not forget infographics. A good one can be page view heaven online, and if you can use Photoshop or Illustrator skills to brand it with your news org’s logo, it could bring even more people back to your site.
3. Basic HTML
Once you’ve mastered a user-friendly blog platform like WordPress, you may think that having basic HTML skills is unnecessary, but that’s not completely true. (Raise your hand if you’ve published something only to see that the finished product is in all italic or bold font or that your bulleted list came out as something else entirely.)
| NEXT >> 4 Lessons for Writing in the Digital Age |
“So much on the Web is ready-made plug and play and that’s fantastic, but you as a professional want to have the skillset to make it look seamless,” explained Meg Heckman, former online editor at the Concord Monitor.
There are a million things in a story’s code that can screw it up online, but you can only catch errors if you know what to look for. All those italics are probably due to an open < i >< / i > tag and the bulleted list gone bad is probably because your < ul >< / ul > is off. Check out Lynda for tutorials or browse these basic HTML tips.
Firefox’s Firebug or Google Analytics Debugger let you view, edit, debug, and monitor webpage code. Add those extensions to your browser and you can see the HTML behind any website. So, if you like another story’s format, you can duplicate it for your own.
4. Search Engine Optimization
Sometimes, maximizing page views is all about having the right words and phrases in your story, and Google AdWords reigns supreme for generating the best keywords.
“You enter the crux of what your story is about, search for a related keyword that has high search results and fairly low competition, then make that your keyword and ensure it’s in your title, URL, header and content,” explained Bret Love, a journalist from Atlanta who runs Green Global Travel.
Bloggers who want to optimize posts as they write can install an SEO plug-in such as Yoast, Love said. “It’s basically like an idiot’s guide to SEO, giving you a green light when it’s good, yellow light when it’s OK, and a red light if your SEO stinks,” he said. It also tells you where a term is lacking, so you can easily fix it. However, he advises journalists to write as they would and not get too caught up in using too many keywords like a “marketing nut.”
| “Diversification is key to surviving the changing tides in our industry.” |
Heckman notes that most newsrooms have content management systems, which can help reporters determine keywords to use as they type. Content doesn’t matter as much as what’s on top of it. “For the vast majority of reporters and even your average editor, a strong Web-appropriate headline is what really matters,” she said.
5. Audio and Video Editing
In today’s digital era, being able to record and edit interviews can set you apart from the rest.
Journalists can edit audio easily with Garage Band or Audacity. If you browse online, you’re bound to find some useful tutorials (like this one, for Audacity) that can aid you in using the software.
Web videos can be just as powerful. Erica Sandberg, a personal finance expert and editor-at-large for BankRate.com’s Credit Card Guide promotes her articles with short videos. She recently started putting together clips for MySourceTV as part of her show, “Making It with Erica.”
“To me, as far as journalists and reporters spreading their stories around the globe, a short video is the way to go,” Sandberg said.
Although Sandberg plans to hire an inexpensive production company to make more videos, DIY solutions include Final Cut Pro, iMovie and Windows Movie Maker. iPromptPro or i-Prompter are other neat tools that let you turn your smartphone into a teleprompter.
More Skills, More Opportunities
Whether you try out another social networking tool or learn how to operate new software, it’s important to push yourself as the industry moves forward.
“In my experience, diversification is key to surviving the changing tides in our industry,” said Love, who has done everything from graphic design and social media consulting when writing was slow. “The more tools you have in your box, the more valuable you become as an asset.”
NEXT >> 4 Lessons for Writing in the Digital Age
Kristen Fischer is a copywriter and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) living at the Jersey Shore. Visit her at www.kristenfischer.com.
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