“Oriella Digital Journalism Study also found more than half journalists worldwide use social media, such as Twitter, to source and verify stories, from contacts already known to them.

A study of more than 600 journalists across the world found that more than half source and verify news stories using known sources on social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook and Weibo. The research found 75 per cent of journalists in the UK do so.”

(via @ejcnet & @journalismnews)

Read more: Study: 75% of UK journalists source news from known social media contacts

1. Do some homework ahead of time;

2. Know where you’ll be teaching;

3. Learn the backstory;

4. Create & share handouts;

5. Answer the “Why should I care?” question;

6. Make at least part of the session hands-on;

7. Don’t just answer questions; ask them;

8. Include a primer on social media verification;

9. Conclude by asking people to set a goal for themselves;

10. Become a resource.

Read more: 10 tips for teaching journalists how to effectively use social media

Journalism educators today face the daunting task of staying current in a media environment that seems to be constantly changing. Our classes are already loaded with the fundamentals of reporting and writing. Now we have to add new ideas and tools available in a flourishing digital environment.

Read more: Resources for journalism educators to stay current on media news & trends

When the Pulitzer Prize Board announced last year it would emphasize real-time reporting for the Breaking News category starting in 2012, some speculated whether we would someday see a Pulitzer Prize for tweeting. As it turns out, this year’s winner came pretty close.

The prize for Breaking News went to a small newspaper that combined old-fashioned field reporting with a new tool, Twitter, after a tornado devastated swaths of Tuscaloosa, Ala., on April 27, 2011.

Read more: How The Tuscaloosa News’ post-tornado tweeting helped bring home a Pulitzer Prize

The 2012 Pulitzer Prize winners reflect the rising role of social media and the Internet in today’s news coverage.

Online news sites The Huffington Post and Politico were recognized for their editorial content. Traditional news outlets integrated social media into their reporting of breaking news in real time.

“Social media appeared in several categories this year, especially in the breaking news category,” Sig Gissler, Pulitzer Prize administrator told Mashable. “One of the factors considered this year was the real time reporting in early phases of events.”

Read more: Pulitzer Prizes Highlight Social Media’s Penetration Into the Newsroom

2012 Pulitzer Prize Winners: http://www.pulitzer.org/node/8501

With great technological change comes great opportunity, and with great opportunity comes greater responsibility. Our society’s need for credible journalistic knowledge and wisdom has never been greater. While the evolution of the web has been primarily beneficial, it also raises the bar.

8 questions that will help define the future of journalism:

1. Addressing content architecture;

2. Evolving the narrative form;

3. Creating the Reporter’s Notebook 2.0;

4. Rethinking organizational workflow;

5. Exploring computational journalism;

6. Leveraging search and social;

7. Rethinking site design;

8. Shifting to a culture of constant product innovation.

Read more: Google’s Richard Gingras: 8 questions that will help define the future of journalism

onaissues:

The Gender Report has an excellent link roundup of articles noteworthy to women in journalism.

Here’s a short list of skills that should be part of the basic social media skill set for a journalist today:

1. Live Tweeting/Live Blogging;

2. Knowing What Stories Get Good Traction On Social Media Sites;

3. Making Twitter Lists Work For You;

4. The Value of Facebook Fan Pages For Journalists.

Read more: What Are Basic Social Media Skills Journalists Need?

futurejournalismproject:

News Coverage of Trayvon Martin Case Drops But Still Public’s Top Story

Via the Pew Research Center:

For the third straight week, the controversy over the shooting death of Trayvon Martin was the public’s top story, though coverage dropped considerably. A third of the public (33%) say they followed news about the death of the African American teenager in Florida more closely than any other news, about twice the percentage citing the economy (16%) or the 2012 elections (15%). News about the controversy made up 7% of coverage, down from 18% one week earlier, according to a separate analysis by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ).

African Americans continue to follow news about the controversy more closely than whites. About seven-in-ten blacks (72%) say they followed Trayvon Martin developments more closely than any other story, compared with 26% of whites. Looking at partisans, 45% of Democrats say this was their top story last week, three times the 15% of Republicans that say this. Among independents more than a third (36%) say this was their top story.