Social Media: A Relationship in Progress

I recently talked to Chip Mahaney, he works the web for E.W Scripps Company in Cincinnati, OH. My new media director, Jen Reeves, ask me to seek social media help from him for my capstone project. For the project, we focus on how social media can really benefit a newsroom in terms of news gathering and developing a relationship with viewers. This time we try to narrow it down more to a face-to-face interaction to see if such thing could generate stronger impact on our viewership.

In the next post I will talk more about my capstone project and upload some samples. Meanwhile, we go back to Chip and his perspective on social media.

Chip says social media is a tangible way for newsrooms to interact directly with the audience. He calls it a "one way stream" and a "feedback mechanism". After all, social media is where people spend a lot of their time on, from professionals to younger folks like college students.

Just like me, Chip is familiar with Tweetups and its role to create a relationship in between two parties. Not just through airwaves or online mediums. He does admit that his newsroom hasn't taken any advantage of it. He does realize that a face to face interaction could "build real community out of a bunch networking groups" and "bridge a connection from virtual world to shake to shake."

I asked Chip how much impact will social media bring when it comes to helping newsrooms gaining more viewers? He's positive that it won't save TV ratings by itself, as social networking is only one aspect of branding. More deciding factors lay on the on-air materials.

But one thing that social media has been known to benefit newsrooms from: news gathering.
He says it allows you to develop personal relationship with your viewers. In the future they'll have no doubt to come to you with story ideas or become your sources. They'll be add "flavors, opinions, and a nuance to your story"

Social media "won't replace anything but kinda adds to everything."

Photo: Tweetups.com