Hand in hand with my previous blog
goes this post. Just as you need to be aware of what’s being said about
you/your name/brand/company, you should know what’s being said about
your competition and what your competition is saying. At the very least
you should know how your competition is using the same social networks
as you are so you can improve your own use, or expand to another
network. I’m a journalist so my competition is other
journalists, traditional and citizen, and media outlets... Continue reading ...
Whether you’re using social networks for personal or for professional
reasons you need to be monitoring what’s being said about you on the
Internet. I can understand why someone who is only chatting with
friends and who doesn’t talk about business wouldn’t think it’s
necessary to do so. If that person is you, I ask, “don’t you want to
know if you’re name is out there?” A comment you leave on any public
forum, or even a forum you think is completely protected, can and will
be... Continue reading ...
Posted by Misty Montano on Friday, February 19, 2010,
In :
Twitter
 Earlier this week I had to take time to think before I responded to two different Tweets to me. One of which I discussed with a manager before answering. I know I did right in my answers, but I still feel, well, dirty about it. My mantra in using social media has always been: Be Smart. Social networks are tools you decide how to use; you don’t let them use you. This includes doing all you can to know with whom you’re interacting and why. First I responded to a Tweet from a journalist at a... Continue reading ...
Media organizations have partnered for as long as I can remember. CBS4 News used to partner with The Rocky Mountain News before it closed. Now the station partners with The Denver Business Journal. KUSA and KMGH also partner with local print organizations. There are various partnerships with local radio stations as well. These partnerships will continue but need to go beyond media organization to media organization. Collaboration is a term being used more these days to describe a wide variety ... Continue reading ...
This week’s Journchat was lively as usual. Question one lead
to a good discussion on press releases used as news. (You can view the Archived Chat. Question one and the comments start at
7:07pm.) I answered as soon as I saw the
question.
Last night was a no brainer.
As I’m shouting out to coworkers about an email from Denver Police on a
missing grandmother and her two-year old grandson, I’m saving the press release, a PDF file, so I
can upload the release to Twitdoc. I
knew t... Continue reading ...
By now I believe my social media mantra is clear. Be smart. If you choose to use social media in any capacity know why, know your purpose and be smart in all you do. I need to extend my “be smart” advice to media that decides to critique social media use. Saturday morning while curled up under a blanket on the couch and sipping a mug of coffee I scrolled through Twitter on my cell phone. I saw a Tweet from @DaveWebb that said The Colorado Independent had called out The Denver Post for its... Continue reading ...
I’ve made it obvious that I believe traditional media should use social media. I advocate knowing why you’re using social networks, have goals and have strategies to reach those goals. So I find myself a little surprised at the thoughts that went through my head this afternoon. Is it possible to tweet too much? If you’re giving away your competitive edge, yes you can tweet too much. When I share what’s happening for me on the news desk and in the newsroom I am always aware that I have... Continue reading ...
I woke up to snow this week. The forecasts for a fall snow storm had all been right. I settled in for a snow day with my boys and wondered if I’d be called in to work. It was the last day of my vacation time I’d taken to be off with the boys during their fall break. It was a day of pajamas, hot chocolate, games, cartoons, shoveling and running around in the snow. It’s sometimes hard for me to turn off work, you know that internal switch where you can completely allow yourself to be in th... Continue reading ...
Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, October 10, 2009,
In :
Twitter
Wednesday night I listened to a SWAT situation in the metro area. It sounded like multiple agencies were participating in an operation to take a person in custody. I had nothing confirmed, but I shared what I heard on Twitter though. I often share what I hear as a way to keep the community informed as to what’s happening and to explain the news process.
At first I didn’t hear the location of the SWAT incident and said so in my Tweets. This lead to two people replying to me with what... Continue reading ...
Posted by Misty Montano on Thursday, September 24, 2009,
In :
Twitter
I am often asked how a journalist can use Twitter, facebook or other social media networks while walking the line of being unbiased, yet personable. To me the answer is simple. Be smart when you use these networks When I share my experiences on the news desk I always make the source of the information clear. I never give an opinion on a story or hot button issues like politics and religion. However I am always me. I let my personality come out and I share some aspects of my personal life, like... Continue reading ...
When you have decided to use Twitter or other Social Media tools in your news organization you need to use them as one in your strategic news plan. If you have a lead on a story and are willing to post the new information on your Web site, post it also on all Social Media platforms you are using. Don’t just break the news on only one tool. Even worse don’t fully share the information on one platform, but only tease on another.
On August 12 all media outlets in Denver were following a devel... Continue reading ...
Last week I posted "To my surprise the crazy caller made my day normal" because it had been a nice, easy transition for me back on the news desk after being on medical leave. Boy, did I speak way too soon, and may have even jinxed the metro area with that post because around 10:20 p.m. a major storm ripped through the metro area. CBS4 News stayed live on the air until after midnight covering the storm. This meant I stayed and with a very minimal crew, we covered the second costliest storm ... Continue reading ...
It’s been over a week since I spoke at NPPA Convergence on using social media in the newsroom. So much happened I needed time to organize my thoughts before writing out my thoughts. Sometime before I started speaking on a panel Saturday, June 13 I saw a post on Twitter regarding the Iran Electionsand the protests that were just beginning. Honestly, my first instinct was that of a journalist, “this is going to be a big story.”
To
be even more honest, after the conferenc... Continue reading ...
UPDATE Friday, May 29th: It's official I will be speaking at a social media seminar during the NPPA Convergence in Las Vegas in a couple of weeks. Then I will moderate a panel discussion on social media. So I need help/advice. Those who attend are journalists wanting to know how to use social media. Some may already utilize social media, but others may not. I'm asking you: what do you want from your local journalist or news organization using social media? This is a whole new field for many of u... Continue reading ...
Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009,
In :
Twitter
As with any form of communication there are multiple opportunities for misunderstanding. I believe a misunderstanding lead to someone following me on Twitter to un-follow me. Instead of asking me about what I meant, the follower decided to call me out on Twitter and to un-follow me. I admit it's hard not to take this personally. Last night I left work while there was an active shooting in Greeley. There was nothing more that I could do. A freelance photographer was on the scene. The Under Sher... Continue reading ...
Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009,
In :
Twitter
As I opened this new post I started to monitor a fire west of the station, over 20-minutes away, in Jefferson County. I entered the title and stopped writing to focus on the fire. I checked all sources that could possibly also be monitoring the fire and found none. Not knowing if I'm the only assignment editor in the city listening to the fire, I had to decide what, if anything, to post on Twitter. I chose to post nothing at first. This was the right decision. For less than ten minutes I liste... Continue reading ...
Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009,
In :
Twitter
Tonight I received my first Tweet critique from a follower. He stated, "Too many RT's that aren't relevant to News, I'd like to keep following you but there are too many twits for me." I promptly sent a reply thanking him for letting me know this. Luckily, he hadn't unfollowed me yet so I sent him a direct message saying, "seriously, thank you for being honest with me. I'm still learning my place as a journalist on twitter. I understand if you no longer follow." This is complete honesty. I fin... Continue reading ...
Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009,
In :
Twitter
Twitter allows interaction with the viewers I'm trying to reach. Twitter allows Tweeps to share in my day, share my journey of news each night. Twitter makes the news more than just headlines. Twitter allows transparency in news coverage. Twitter allows Tweeps to have ownership in the news. All of that is possible in Twitter because Twitter is what you want it to be. You can make Twitter work for you in any way that you want. I use Twitter for all the above reasons. I have two simple Twitter R... Continue reading ...
Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009,
In :
Twitter
An effort to understand and utilize Twitter in the newsroom and in life has lead me and my husband, @Edit_Foundry, to search the web and read, read, read. We've found many articles and followed many Tweets on using Twitter. I've decided to start listing what we've found that has been helpful to me as a journalist. My goal is to keep everything in one place so I can easily access it all. Please use my list, add suggestions and check it out occasionally as I will update it as I find new informa... Continue reading ...
Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009,
In :
Twitter
I have seen several blogs and news stories about Twitter and how Twitter is changing journalism. Previously I've discussed the future of journalism in the face of new media a.k.a. social media a.k.a. advanced media. I've decided to throw out my two cents on how social media has recently affected me as a journalist. I hope to give fellow journalists some ideas on what they can do as well. CBS4 News launched Twitter a few months ago and then created a CBS4 News Facebook Fan Page last month. It's... Continue reading ...
Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009,
In :
Twitter
I started this blog over a week ago and every time I sit down to write it, I can't seem to get out what I want to say. This block has left me feeling like there's nothing else I can blog about until I get this out. So please, if ramble and take tangents, remember it's my way of trying to connect the dots. I'd love your feedback and ideas. I agree Lacey, it's been too long since I blogged. Last week was a horrible week for journalism in Denver. The Rocky Mountain News closed. There were lay offs... Continue reading ...
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About Me
I'm a journalist utilizing social media, i.e. social platforms, in mainstream media news coverage. I learn something new every day. These are my thoughts, ideas, failures and successes at integrating mainstream media and social media.
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