On 20 April, media consultant and former broadcast journalist Justin Kings takes our one-day course on the hottest social media tools for journalists. The programme will cover tools and techniques for using social media professionally and discuss the ethical issues surrounding social media use by journalists.
In the next in our series of interviews with the trainers, Journalism.co.uk asks Kings for his top tips on using social media as a journalist:
How long have you been working in journalism and when did you set up as a media trainer?
[JK] I have around 20 years experience in broadcast journalism. I've spent the majority of my career at Capital Radio in London where my team won various awards for its coverage of the London terror attacks on 7/7. I also ran news at BBC London for two years. I set up my company, newsleader media consultancy at the start of 2009 and I have trained journalists in the UK (including the BBC) and Europe.
What are some of the best uses of social media you see by journalists/individuals?
Well, one radio station that I've worked with broke the story of one of the first cases of swine flu in the UK through its routine check of Twitter. It noticed tweets between students that suggested someone was ill with it at a hall of residence. Twitter is public text messaging really isn't it?
The most recent example of an interesting use of social media was by Channel 4's Alex Thomson. He tweeted from the frontline in Afganistan giving bitesize updates as troops came under fire. Powerful stuff.
What new skills do journalists need to develop when using these tools?
I think one of the most important things to realise is that social media doesn't change the fundamental skills of a journalist. Social media is a tool, but it's a tool which a journalist can use to find new sources or stories, connect with the public or publish content. So, you need to learn how to use this tool most effectively. A little bit of technical knowledge is needed, but then it's learning what is best practice.
Are there any social media sites/tools/apps you couldn't live without?
I'm a bit of a social media addict as you'd probably guess. I'm on Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, Slideshare and others. I probably use Twitter most often though, partly because it has a big media usage so its a good way to keep in touch with what is happening in the industry and connect with my colleagues and friends.
The tool to watch is Audioboo: it's an audio, microblogging service that the Guardian has been using a fair bit. It has obvious benefits for radio, but it's an easy and effective way for anyone to tell a story or publish an interview.
Senior Desk Editor - International News Desk
