Getting tangled up in messy Twitter threads? Convert those loose posts into simple-to-read articles and save them for later
What is it? Thread Reader is an online platform which converts Twitter threads into coherent articles and PDFs.
Cost: Free, with paid-for options
How is it of use to journalists?
Twitter threads are a useful tool for journalists to report from conferences, social gatherings or court rooms.
Using Twitter posts has proved to be a great way to engage social media audiences with content suited for sharing. The BBC, for example, have used Twitter threads as an open-source tool to tell deep investigative stories.
The downside of threads is that they can be clunky to read and get lost in the noise of the Twittersphere. To help you out, Thread Reader can both present Twitter feeds in a neat format and store them for later.
So, how do you get started?
The first thing you need is a good Twitter thread.
THREADIn the lead-up to Madagascar’s 2018 Presidential elections, teams of Russian 'tourists' and 'observers' were spotted on the island. Who were these Russians? What were they doing in the country? And who was backing them?#BBCAfricaEye investigates. pic.twitter.com/k4Hz6BJ2Ka— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) April 10, 2019
THREADIn the lead-up to Madagascar’s 2018 Presidential elections, teams of Russian 'tourists' and 'observers' were spotted on the island. Who were these Russians? What were they doing in the country? And who was backing them?#BBCAfricaEye investigates. pic.twitter.com/k4Hz6BJ2Ka
Next, download the Thread Reader Chrome extension.
Hit the drop arrow on the tweet. Then by hitting 'unroll in Thread Reader', it will automatically open the thread onto the platform for you.
Alternatively, you can hit 'copy link to Tweet'.
Then paste into Thread Reader.
Both options will 'Unroll' the thread, to enjoy like an article, complete with all media attachments and comments.
By the way, it also creates a brand new URL so you can share the article and others can see your new version on demand. Hit the link and see this new and improved BBC thread for yourself.
It is as simple as that, but there is more you can play around with.
If you log in using a Twitter or other email account, you can bookmark your threads and come back to them later.
You can also view the most recent threads that have been uploaded to the platform straight from the homescreen by other users.
This way, people can discover your threads too and you might stumble upon an interesting dive. All of the above can be done without spending a penny.
You will notice there are options to subscribe to authors and also turn those threads into PDFs. Handy tools for cleaner reading and receiving alerts, but those are premium options which you can get for $3 a month or $30 a year.
If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).
Sign up to receive job alerts of your choice by email, or manage your subscription
Featured recruiter: click to view its vacancies
Investigative journalism publication seeks editor to lead reporting on AI, Big Tech and influence operations with experience in these areas and creative ideas about how to to report on them
Subscribe to our newsletter for latest news, tips, jobs and more
End that deadline stress today and find help in our freelance directory
Cargo Force stuns the world: free 10kg shipping to India in celebration of ICC Trophy victory – offer ongoing until Sunday, 16 March!
Our 35th Newsrewired conference will be held 13 May 2025, News UK, London.
Reporters who have worked under Putin, Erdogan and the Taliban share what they have learned about how autocrats consolidate power and how communities can fight back against the erosion of democratic freedom
Leaders from The Times, Sky News and Reuters reveal why chasing fewer but more engaged readers - and embracing AI as a creative tool rather than a threat - is proving more profitable than old-school mass reach strategies
A TikTok master with 100m views, a paywall pioneer with 3,000 subscribers, and a community visionary backed by local businesses share their strategies for making independent journalism pay beyond ads
Slovakia's Dennik N broke three years of subscriber stagnation with an innovative anniversary campaign, while The New Statesman transformed podcasts from a side project into a powerful growth engine – both offering valuable lessons for media companies hitting plateaus