Let's Get Social

 

For all my students' apparent tech savvy and social media know-how, they are often unaware of the role of social media in journalism or its import to a student publication. They have misconceptions about the motivation behind choosing a particular social media platform to push a story, supplement coverage, or interact with an engaged audience.

The following videos explain the increasingly important role of social media in journalism and would make for great discussion starters as a publication staff determines which social media audiences to pursue.

 

A cheesy infographic is a concise, visual way to sum up the role each social media platform fulfills in the digital landscape. It grabs students' attention and gets them to reconsider their misconceptions about the role social media can play in a student publication and how they can best use a social media platform to gain readers and loyal followers.

 

“Social Media Explained by Cute Cats” by Stefan Leijon is licensed by CC BY-NC 2.0

Clearly, not every social platform makes sense for a student publication to use. It is important for a staff to be unified on their understanding and practice of the intentional use of specific platforms to promote the publication's stories, support student journalism, and to actively engage with their school community and readers. These videos and infographic can serve as a nice jumping off point for a deeper understanding and discussion of the vital role social media plays in student journalism. 

Jennifer Woolsey

Sunrise Mountain HS

Peoria, AZ