Journalists Keep It Professional On Facebook Hub

Posted by Robyn Gee on April 13, 2011

Facebook recently launched an online community called “Journalists on Facebook,” a hub on Facebook where journalists can create an individual page, or a page for their publication and post stories they’ve written, start discussions, or draw attention to particular issues. People like Christiane Amanpour from ABC News, Ariana Huffington, and Katie Couric from CBS News have pages in the community.

Jeremy Rue, a lecturer at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism who teaches a course on multimedia storytelling, can understand the appeal.  “In the journalism industry, you need to get on Facebook. People describe it as a second Internet – it’s that big,” said Rue. “That’s where the community is, that’s where the conversation is,” he said.

Journalists he knew wanted a professional Facebook account where they could be journalists and remain objective, in addition to their personal account. But in Facebook’s Terms of Use, each person is only allowed to have one account. Facebook suggests setting up a personal account, and then creating a page for your professional activities. The Journalists on Facebook community sets an example for this model, said Rue, by consolidating the professional pages of journalists.

Rue is a member of the Online News Association which held an event this January at the Facebook Headquarters in Palo Alto, CA, focused on informing journalists about how to use social media to improve their reporting. He thinks the Journalists on Facebook hub is a new step in that direction. “In the journalism industry, you need to get on Facebook. People describe it as a second Internet – it’s that big,” said Rue. “That’s where the community is, that’s where the conversation is,” he said.

One reason for journalists to investigate this new Facebook hub as a resource is because the comment stream potential is just bigger there, said Rue. Unlike the New York Times website, or the NPR website, you don’t have to register, or log in to another account in order to comment.  Rue added that when you comment on a story on the New York Times website, the only people who will see it are other New York Times readers. Whereas on Facebook, if you comment on a story, your whole network of friends can see what you’ve said and are encouraged to join the discussion.

Many news publications and organizations view social media as a tool for distributing their content, but Rue said it’s much more than that. Twitter and Facebook can be helpful for finding sources, isolating the public discussion around an issue, and getting feedback from your readers. Social journalism, according to Rue, is acknowledging that reporting is a two-way conversation. “Journalists publish content for readers, and then readers get to comment, submit photos, and produce their own content,” said Rue. He sees an opportunity for reporters to increase their transparency using social media.

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