DFM chat on journalism metrics in a fragmented environment

Spike in reach or boa constrictor
digesting an elephant?

Digital First Media friends and other journalists, members of the community and fans of journalism are invited to take part in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

Today we are talking about metrics. What to use and how to use it in a way to further your journalistic goals. But further, how do you measure success in such a fragmented environment? How do you quantify other endeavors like alerts, newsletters, social videos or podcasts? And when do you pull the plug when something isn't quite working out?

If you want to be in the post chat archive, post a comment in the container or a tweet with the hashtag "#dfmchat" so it can automatically appear below.

DFM chat: Mobile hardware and software for journalist

Exciting parking lot video

Digital First Media friends and other journalists, members of the community and fans of journalism are invited to take part in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

Today we are learning about mobile hardware and software for journalists, beyond the basics. Sure, you have a smartphone and Facebook and Twitter. What else do you bring to the field while on assignment? What apps do you have? What do you use for video?  What's on your home screen?

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DFM chat: How do you learn new journalism skills?

I like to break things. With cats.

Digital First Media friends and other journalists, members of the community and fans of journalism are invited to take part in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.


Today we are learning about learning! What are the best ways to acquire skills in today's constantly evolving news environment? What's the best way to share them? Where do you go to learn new things outside of your newsroom or workplace? Grab your tools and bring your links!



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What skills do you need as a modern journalist?

This photo was taken with Google Glass lol

Digital First Media friends and other journalists, members of the community and fans of journalism are invited to take part in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

Today we're talking about a recurring favorite that changes with the times, as technology changes and newsrooms continue their permanent evolution (disruption, alas, is forever): What are, currently, the necessary skills for a journalist looking for a job or reporters or editors aiming to upgrade their skills? Is it better to be a jack-of-all-trades or a specialist in a niche? But even within a niche, what basic digital tools must a journalist possess or be familiar with? What resources can a journalist use (for free, preferably)? Bring your links and #realtalk.



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How and why to do 360-degree video: DFM chat

weeeeeeee

A post shared by Ivan Lajara (@ivanlajara) on Mar 8, 2017 at 11:44am PST

Digital First Media friends and other journalists, members of the community and fans of journalism are invited to take part in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.


Today we're talking about what the why, how of 360-degree (and VR) video. Should small newsrooms invest on such tech? What kind of stories would benefit from this? How would you go about it? What are the best tools to use for 360/VR video for a newsroom with limited resources? What about live-streaming?



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Journalism lessons from Steve Buttry

DFM chat on the why and how of live video during breaking news

Digital First Media friends and other journalists, members of the community and fans of journalism are invited to take part in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

Today we're talking about what the why, how of live video during breaking news. What are the best tools to cover breaking news with video? What do you do when reception is spotty when there are large crowds? How do you repurpose those videos for later viewing? Are there circumstances where live video is not recommended? How do you juggle ALL THE THINGS when you're the only one doing story/video/photos/etc.?

If you want to be in the post chat archive, post a comment in the container or a tweet with the hashtag "#dfmchat" so it can automatically appear below.

DFM chat on combating fake news

Digital First Media friends and other journalists, members of the community and fans of journalism are invited to take part in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

Today we're talking about what can newsrooms and users! do to combat the spread of fake and misleading news in your communities. There are lots of ~takes~ about the rise and spread and who's to blame and woe is us, but what concrete things can journalists and news organizations do when these pests appear? Bring your ideas, tools, and the Talk Such As That Is Real.

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DFM chat: Mobile friendly ideas for Election Day coverage

Decisions (Ariél Zangla photo)

(The text you see above is in this openly editable document, where anyone can collaborate)

DFM chat: What skills will journalists need as their jobs evolve over time?

Digital First Media friends and other journalists, members of the community and fans of journalism are invited to take part in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

Today we're talking about the skills needed to keep up with tomorrow's journalism jobs. What skills will you need? What will newsrooms need? How do you keep up?
This is an exercise that's thinking ahead but also one that's looking at today's environment to determine where it's going, and what can we do about it now. Let's be nimble. Also, let's Daydream.




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DFM chat on how to write for the web in the mobile age

Digital First Media friends and other journalists, members of the community and fans of journalism are invited to take part in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

You can only add so much to a phone experience.

Today we're talking about writing for the web with a focus on the ever-growing mobile audience. Increasingly, especially during breaking news, most users will come directly into articles from social media and search via mobile devices and while within apps. What things can journalists do to maximize the value of their stories in such an environment? Even if the reporters are not the ones behind the presentation, what can they bring in to enhance those stories to keep people informed? But also, are there things that just don't work well in mobile (I'm looking at you PDFs)? What things are best left behind when we take into consideration screen sizes (and data plans). Bring your ideas, links and don't hesitate to bring a healthy dose of criticism.


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DFM chat: What to prioritize during breaking news when you have to 'do it all'

Digital First Media friends and other journalists, members of the community and fans of journalism are invited to take part in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

Today we are going to talk about what to prioritize when covering breaking news, when you have to 'do it all' (and it's ridiculously obvious that such a thing is not really realistic). What are the right tools to bring to such a story, when there's only one person to cover it, with a smartphone and a notepad? What's a proper workflow? What things become optional ('nice to have' but not really necessary). Bring your tools, ideas and #realtalk.

If you want to be in the post chat archive, post a comment in the container or a tweet with the hashtag "#dfmchat" so it can automatically appear below.

DFM chat on improving online conversations

Digital First Media friends and other journalists, members of the community and fans of journalism are invited to take part in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

Today we are going to try (again!) to find novel but sustainable ways to improve online conversations. How much time and resources should be devoted to this effort? How can news orgs efficiently harness the conversations happening around them, in social media, forums (reddit?), etc? Can the tone be improved? How can the audience be involved in this effort? What about the best commenting platform as things are more and more mobile-centric?

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DFM chat on the ideal news product

AR dreams

Digital First Media friends and other journalists, members of the community and fans of journalism are invited to take part in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

Today we are going to take things from the user's side. What do you want in a news product?  What would it look like? And what things would you actually click on? Note —as shown from research and surveys — that people tend to respond on an idealized basis (everybody wants 10,000-word investigations!), but metrics show how news consumers actually behave. Is there a sweet spot? With that caveat, how do you currently consume the news and how would that be better? AND, what steps, if any, can newsrooms take today to get to that point. Is this sustainable?

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DFM chat: Fail fast, sure. But what did you learn? And what's working?

Digital First Media friends and other journalists, members of the community and fans of journalism are invited to take part in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

Today we are are talking about news experimentation and emerging technologies. We're all for trying new things and failing fast and all that. So what's working and what needs tweaking? What have news organizations learned from 'failed' experiments? How are those experiments better serving the story and its intended audience? Bring your tips, links and VR goggles. Let's take a ride.


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DFM chat on what Facebook changes means for news organizations

*part [insert number here]

Digital First Media and other journalists, members of the community and fans of journalism are invited to take part in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

Today we are are talking about Facebook's recent algorithm changes and what it means for news organizations. What does it mean? How is it going to impact your news organization's impact, distribution and/or traffic goals? Does it change an individual journalist's equation of having a page vs. an open profile? What strategies can newsrooms implement?

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DFM chat on the real value of video for small to mid-sized news organizations

Did you know? Nobody wants to watch a video of a dude sitting on a desk.

Digital First Media and other journalists, members of the community and fans of journalism are going to participate (or lurk) in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

Today we are are talking about video, especially as it pertains to mid-size to smaller news organizations. Should small news organizations even bother with videos that likely are only going to get modest views? Are you shooting video for the sake of doing video? What is the real goal? How are you accomplishing those goals? As a user, what kinds of video do you watch and want to watch online?

In a news environment of limited resources and staff, how can those efforts be refocused? Is there such a thing as a cost-effective and easy-to-produce-and-publish mobile-friendly video?

If you want to be in the post chat archive, post a comment in the container or a tweet with the hashtag "#dfmchat" so it can automatically appear below. Bring your videos!

DFM chat on the use of animated gifs in journalism

Journalists, Digital First Media peeps, anyone who wants to are going to participate in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

Today we are revisiting gifs! Their use (and misuse) in journalism. How to do them (and do them fast) and what tools to use; When not to do them; And what about copyright?

If you want to be in the post chat archive, post a comment in the container or a tweet with the hashtag "#dfmchat" so it can automatically appear below.

DFM chat: How to be a user friendly journalist

Journalists, Digital First Media peeps, anyone who wants to are going to participate in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

Today we are talking about how to be a user-friendly journalist, meaning how to produce and distribute your stuff to all sorts of audiences in whatever device (or app!) they are in. Let's talk about how the news finds its audience, and what you can do to help. And, of course, let's talk about what are the challenges, pro-tips, and #realtalk.

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DFM chat: The pros and cons of Facebook Live

Waiting for the right moment to try FB live.
And then https://t.co/0L68KOYfp6 pic.twitter.com/JeHR4OdRs0

— Ivan Lajara (@ivanlajara) May 16, 2016

Journalists, Digital First Media peeps, anyone who wants to are going to participate in a Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time, to talk about all things journalism.

Today we are talking about Facebook Live videos. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using that platform for live video? Does it fulfill your mission? How can you use it to your advantage? What kinds of videos should news organizations do live? Bring your ideas, links and #realtalk.

If you want to be in the post chat archive, post a comment in the container or a tweet with the hashtag "#dfmchat" so it can automatically appear below.