What Microsoft’s Skype acquisition means for social TV
Update: In a record acquisition for the company, Microsoft announced this morning it’s buying Skype for $8.5 billion. The real-time communications service has 170 million connected users, and for Microsoft, that was too good to pass up. Explains the release: Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a wide array [...]
How social will Scott Pelley’s CBS Evening News be?
It’s implicit in what’s been said so far that CBS views Katie Couric’s departure as a plus in terms of TV ratings, but what will happen to CBS Evening News’ social presence when Scott Pelley takes over? Couric has made social media a major part of her tenure at the Evening News and has used [...]
Should media sites add Tumblr share buttons?
Tumblr officially rolled out its share button today, joining the ranks of many other social platforms. True to Tumblr, the button can be adapted to share links, quotes, photos or embedded video, carrying over the source attribution. Here’s an example of sharing a photo: So with so many buttons out there, why should media organizations [...]
YouTube adding movies in bid for TV viewing
YouTube announced in a blog post today that it’s adding 3,000 new movie titles for rent — the company says it will release more details later today. This after announcing a few weeks ago that it’s investing in up-and-coming talent through YouTube Next. All this means one thing, which YouTube’s Salar Kamangar wrote quite succinctly [...]
Ustream launches Facebook app for social streaming
The live video site Ustream has launched an easy-to-install Facebook app with some very cool social features. The app brings live streaming to Facebook pages — tied to your Ustream account — with some extras that lets video producers get the word out. Upon installation, you can decide whether you want Facebook’s social stream or [...]
Using QR codes to interact with a TV audience
We’re all trying to figure out about QR codes – those boxy, digital things that look like a bar code for the digital age. QR codes enable the user to get much more information about a product or story. Check out the example to the right. You’ll need a QR code reader for your mobile [...]
A few reporting apps for when disaster strikes
Here are some apps for journalists to use for quick and instant social reporting when disaster strikes: AudioBoo What it does: Takes short (3 minutes max) audio recordings and posts them to a Twitter-like feed (you can also hook it up to Twitter seamlessly). You can record via the AudioBoo app from your computer. You [...]
Guest article: Six best Facebook practices for on-air
Kimberly Wilson founded Social News Desk, a company that specializes in “social media solutions for newsrooms.” She approached us with this article which offers some great tips for talent who use Facebook. -Safran
As founder of SocialNewsDesk, I work with dozens of stations and on-air journalists who have concerns over security with social media. Some are afraid of the technology, some are afraid of offending viewers and some are even afraid of compromising their own personal safety. To help allay some of these fears, I recently interviewed four anchor/reporters to find out how they would answer some of the most common questions about Facebook best practices for on-air talent:
1. Should I have a personal profile or fan page?
Tammie Fields, Anchor/Reporter WTSP: “I have a personal (profile) page and a professional (fan) page – my personal Facebook (profile) is only made up of people I know well, family, news buddies, and less than half a dozen viewers who are trusted contacts.” NOTE: This is the prevailing suggestion for how best to set-up your Facebook accounts.
Jennifer Bauer, Reporter KPRC: “When I first joined Facebook I joined as “Jennifer Bauer” and accepted all friend requests. I didn’t feel comfortable posting “personal” things on that (profile) with so many strangers as “friends.” So, I separated the two. “Jennifer Bauer” remained my professional page and I created a maiden name page. I try not to use my maiden name on the Bauer page at all so viewers can’t connect the dots and discover what my legal name is. But a few friends who are friends on both pages have tagged me in some pictures as both Bauer and (maiden name), so I’m afraid my secret is out now!”
Staci Spanos, Anchor WJXT: “I basically don’t have a personal Facebook page. I’ve let viewers onto Staci Spanos (profile) and WJXT Staci Spanos (fan page). It’s just easier that way.”
Lauren Freeman, Anchor KPRC: “I honestly never had a Facebook account until the station recommended we all get one. I wasn’t crazy about the idea but now I love it. It does give you a chance to reconnect with old friends and communicate with viewers.”
Dateline NBC takes Facebook engagement to new level
While Dateline NBC’s correspondents have interacted with viewers on Facebook while the news magazine is on the air, Sunday night the subject of a segment answered viewers’ questions. David Goldman, who regained custody of his son after a highly-publicized legal battle in 2009, was interviewed by NBC’s Meredith Vieira for the broadcast (7 p.m. ET/PT). [...]
Tips for journalists on how to listen to Facebook fans
For journalists, transparency can be hard. Social media makes it easy, technically, but opening the door to listen to your audience can be uncomfortable or downright terrifying. Enter New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who posted this to his 211,000 fans on his Facebook page today. Of course, you could argue this is a safe [...]
Check-ins are not dead, says GetGlue
And it has the stats to prove it. Since March, GetGlue says check-ins on its social TV apps have soared 55% to 4 million. The company attributes much of the growth to “growing consumer interest in the emerging entertainment check-in market.” Those check-ins go beyond TV shows to movies, music and video games — although [...]
Social media sites predict American Idol results
This season American Idol fans can now vote for their favorites on Facebook by “liking” them via AmericanIdol.com. And, of course, Idol is one of the most tweeted shows on TV. So a couple social media companies are mining the likes and tweets to predict the results. Likester, as the name implies, tracks like activity [...]
How James Spann sparked a social news phenomenon
Just watching Alabama meteorologist James Spann in action on TV is impressive by itself. When a rash of tornadoes crisscrossed the state last week, he tracked them all in real-time, calling on dozens of communities to take cover — sometimes more than once as tornadoes reformed or double-backed. Spann and the rest of the ABC 33/40 team saved countless lives that day.
What’s even more amazing is how Spann’s social media accounts exploded during and after the story. As we wrote a couple weeks ago, he has more social fans and followers than anyone in local TV (60,000 on Facebook and 26,000 on Twitter). When the tornadoes hit, those social channels turned into a reverse torrent of information: thousands of people posted on his Facebook wall and sent him tweets with damage reports, questions and pleas for help. This firehose of social reports — directed at a single person — is unprecedented in local media, and it could signal a new approach to covering big stories.
In fact, @Spann still has so many incoming tweets right now, he’s set up a hashtag system to help users connect with each other. First, he created #WeAreAlabama, which spread like wildfire. Then, he created the hashtags #ALNeeds and #ALHaves, turning Twitter into a real-time resource to help with recovery efforts. “My stream has evolved into one that is matching groups or people with tornado relief needs with those who can meet those needs,” he explains. “I was blessed to have a large number of followers before the tornado, and we are using this vast army to really make a difference to our neighbors in need.”
So how did a Birmingham, Alabama meteorologist amass so many dedicated social followers? Why are thousands of residents sending him messages instead of submitting their reports to news organizations? How does he multitask on the air, balancing live tornado coverage with social media updates?
We interviewed him, via Facebook, of course…
Think Twitter loves TV? Watch this
Twitter’s media blog is packed full of TV highlights, from on-screen hashtags to live-tweeting. And now, they’ve posted a promotional video on YouTube: It’s all part of a push to encourage TV execs to embrace Twitter on the air. “On the Twitter media team, we believe that tweets drive TV tune-in,” Twitter’s Robin Sloan said [...]
New record for most Facebook fans in 24 hours
Imagine gaining 1.5 million new fans on your Facebook page — in a single day. That’s what happened on Frito Lay’s Facebook page for a 24-hour period in April? How? It enlisted the help of FarmVille, the biggest Facebook phenomenon ever. FarmVille gamers earned virtual goods — which they crave — by harvesting crops sponsored [...]
Virtual currency lifts social TV guide to new heights
With new startups jumping into the fray, the social TV space is suddenly very competitive. But one site is celebrating its third anniversary today with two big milestones. The internet TV guide Yidio said it hit 1.5 million registered users and 500,000 Facebook fans, making it the most popular social TV guide on Facebook. (See [...]
Meet the first network TV journalist on Twitter
His name is @newmediajim. Or to be precise, Jim Long, a photojournalist for NBC News who joined Twitter on October 24, 2006. Today, he has over 42,000 followers — more than many on-air correspondents. “I would wager that I was the first network television news presence on Twitter, and would challenge anyone to prove otherwise,” [...]
Twitter: On-air hashtags boost tweets up to 10X
More networks and cable channels are displaying Twitter hashtags on-air, most recently ABC News, CNN and BBC News with their coverage of the Royal Wedding. CNN displayed its #CNNTV hashtag on the screen for much of the event, which ultimately turned into a trending topic. When Prince William and Prince Harry arrived at Westminster Abbey, [...]
