SchoolJournalism.org

Social Media & Digital Tools Training

About this Lesson

Mark Hinojosa
Associate Professor
Convergence Journalism
Missouri School of Journalism
University of Missouri

The rise of social media has changed how readers gather, consume and interact with news and news organizations. News and information is being shared in real time across the Internet, and reporters need to respond to that change. Social media offers journalists an opportunity to engage readers in a conversation about the events that shape their lives.

What you will learn

After completing this unit, you should be able to:

  • Understand the role social media is playing in today’s digital landscape
  • Understand the comparative strengths of various social media platforms
  • Articulate the elements of an effective Twitter post
  • Understand the ethical issues presented by the use of social media

How the lesson works

First of all, this is an asynchronous lesson unit, which means no live events are scheduled for this lesson. You can complete learning activities at your own pace whenever is convenient for you. Despite the asynchronous nature, the learning tasks are organized to help you succeed.

To be successful in this unit, please complete the following tasks:

• Watch the lecture.
• Take the quiz to test your own understanding.  This will help you to strengthen the concepts you just learned.
Optional: Due to the amount of content to be covered in a single unit, we encourage you read these additional resources. Some of the quiz questions might come from the readings in Additional Resources section.

Watch the Lecture

 

launch_presentation

Click on the Launch button to start

 Take the Quiz

social-media-quiz-screenshot

launch_presentation

Direction: Some of the questions might from the readings in Additional Resources below

Click on the Launch button to start

Lesson Resources

Lecture Script: Download it here

Printable Quiz: Social Media

ASNE Classroom Resources

Lessons: Social Media and Digital Tools

Additional Resources

Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC Academy: “Social Media

Brenna Ehrlich, Mashable: “How Journalists Are Using Social Media for Real Results

American Press Institute: “How Millennials Get News: Inside the Habits of America’s First Digital Generation

Steve Rubel, Edelman: “Storytelling in the Age of Social News Consumption

Vadim Lavrusik, Facebook: “Best Practices for Journalists on Facebook

Facebook Media: “Tips for Journalists on Facebook

Natasha Tynes, International Journalists’ Network: “Six Tips for Journalists on Using Facebook for Reporting

Marshall Kirkpatrick, ReadWrite: “How We Use Twitter for Journalism

Lindsay Kolowich, Hubspot Blogs: “How to Tweet on Twitter: 12 Templates to Get You Started

Twitter: “Techniques for Covering Breaking News Events

Kelly Fincham, Poynter: “7 Ways Journalists Can Make Better Ethical Decisions When Using Facebook

NPR Ethics Handbook – Social Media

Sean Flynn, JournalismDegree.org: “100 Key Ethics and Media Law Resources for Journalists

 

Back to Training Home