Finding and Backgrounding Sources on Social Media

1. Finding and Backgrounding Sources on Social Media David F. Carr Editor, The BrainYard InformationWeek.com/thebrainyard dcarr@techweb.com #SPJsbk

2. Outline • Introduction • Show of hands time • Profiles of the networks, advantages of each • Demo searches • Q & A #SPJsbk

3. Introduction • Current gig: Editor of InformationWeek web publication on social media / social business • Past: newspaper reporter, Technology Editor for Internet World, Baseline Magazine, freelancer, web consultant • On the dark side: politics, marketing and corporate writing #SPJsbk

4. Show of Hands • Who promotes stories on social media? • Who uses social media to research / sourcing? • Who uses Facebook for business? • Who keeps Facebook strictly personal? • Who does not use Facebook (or minimally)? • Who is on Twitter? • Who is on LinkedIn? • Who is on Google+? #SPJsbk

5. Research Uses of Social Media • Find experts, authorities, authors on any topic • Find people who work for any organization • Find former employees of any organization • Find people who are “talking about” any topic • Find eyewitnesses to news events • 5-minute research before the phone interview #SPJsbk

6. Clues to Credibility • Established account vs. brand new account • Profile completeness: photo, links to other biographical sources • Authentic content, consistent with claim of expertise / first-hand knowledge • Connected to other credible people? • Check them out on Klout, Google • Contact and interview #SPJsbk

7. Profiling the Networks: Facebook • Mostly personal contacts, business pages • 955 million monthly active users as of June #SPJsbk

8. Facebook: Personal Networking • Limited (hidden) search. Easiest to find people if you can search by name, have connections in common • Profile (“friend”) vs. Page (“like”) • Celebrity / expert / public figure profiles may offer “subscribe” option #SPJsbk

9. Profiling the Networks: Twitter • Publishing and networking in 140 characters ~500 million users #SPJsbk

10. Twitter, Briefly • Good search (free text keyword, #hashtag, names) biased toward current content. • Advanced search • spjnear:"ft. lauderdale" within:15mi • Profiles very abbreviated. • Send anyone a message by writing to @username #SPJsbk

11. Profiling the Networks: LinkedIn • All business. Explicitly organized as a network of contacts and experts, structured for search by organization, expertise. ~175 million users #SPJsbk

12. LinkedIn: Boring Is Good • Profiles resemble resumes. Well-developed profiles will include recommendations, group memberships • Good repository of experts (finding people who want to be found) • Introduction system lets you stretch and improve your network #SPJsbk

13. LinkedIn For Journalists Sign up for group, take training, get upgrade #SPJsbk

14. Why You Want The Upgrade #SPJsbk

15. LinkedIn Tips • Build connections with existing sources, experts. Invite by email or search for profile • First, flesh out your own profile • Include a note with connection requests (provide context) • Use LinkedIn Group connections for easier introductions • Participate in discussions, pose questions #SPJsbk

16. Profiling the Networks: Google+ • Still evolving but combines best features of others. ~150 million active users #SPJsbk

17. Google+ • Good search for names, specialties, content • Growing user base in niches including tech, small business, websites trying to boost search ranking (get Google’s attention) • Rich profiles • Posts can be short or long, include photos, hashtags #SPJsbk

18. Demo Time #SPJsbk

19. Search LinkedIn • Search for People, Updates, Jobs, Companies, Answers, Inbox, Groups • Default keyed to site navigation (Groups when browsing Groups) • Simple keyword search • Advanced Search for People #SPJsbk

20. LinkedIn Examples • Expertise / background • Forensic accounting • By title • CFO • CFO with expertise in forensic accounting • By company • Keyword: FPL • Company: FPL • FPL, past not current (story on alumni) #SPJsbk

21. LinkedIn Examples (continued) • Geography • Narrow any search by zip code, within x miles • Company search • Follow organization, connect with employees • News driven: Three charter schools close unexpectedly, including one founded by a former NFL player • Searches: • Keyword: charter school • Company: Touchdowns4life • Groups as a source of beat connections • Forensic accounting #SPJsbk

22. Search Facebook • Search by name most prominent • Click through to “See more results” for search filters • Additional people search filters: location, education, workplace #SPJsbk

23. Twitter Searches • Search by keyword for broad match • Search by hashtag for deliberate tagging of #subject • Narrow with Advanced Search or learn search operators • Twitter search operators • love OR hate • strike near:"springfield, ma" within:100mi #SPJsbk

24. Google+ Search • Keyword search brings back a mix of post and profile results, which you can further filter • Hashtags also work • Some standard google operators work on Google+ • "a * saved is a * earned" • Using google.com to search Google+ • site:plus.google.com "charter school" -intitle:"charter school" "lived * Miami" #SPJsbk

25. Credits/Further Reading • Mandy Jenkins @mjenkins • zombiejournalism.com • slideshare.net/mandyjenkins • “Best Practices for Social Media Verification” by Craig Silverman, Columbia Journalism Review • www.cjr.org/the_news_frontier/best_practices_for_social_medi.php • How to Search Facebook video by JM Internet Group • www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzfasqEw260 • Social search techniques • www.booleanblackbelt.com • Mashable article on Social Media Search • mashable.com/2011/03/25/advanced-social-media-search/ #SPJsbk

26. Slides / Links / Follow-up David F. Carr dcarr@techweb.com www.carrcommunications.com/eij2012 #SPJsbk