Social Media

I think in Gainesville,Fla., hyper local news coverage is overkill (and too expensive). It's such a small town revolving around the university, that people go to two print sources for news: The Gainesville Sun (city paper) and The Independent Florida Alligator (unofficial college paper). As an editor at The Alligator, I know that most of the staff's tips come from our fellow students and from wannabe freelance writers (enrolled in UF's College of Journalism). A lot of them come directly to the newsroom to pitch story ideas (and a lot have a personal agenda), but sometimes we get tips from Facebook event invitations, Facebook statuses and Twitter tweets. I don't think the majority of tips come from all these new medians. Most people post about their favorite subject: themselves. For this reason, I think the best source for stories is still word of mouth. Because our staff is so small (and paid so poorly), it's hard to get reliable writers to cover events. Oh the woe of working for a non-profit. Freelance writers and stringers will write about what they want. They'll cover the local pet adopt-a-thon instead of a city commission meeting. They don't care that the downtown square is turning 100 years old.

So how do we still manage to cover the most important issues?
I have not been swept up in the Twitter craze, and I still do not own a smartphone. However, I do still talk to everyone, about everything. My two roommates are in sororities, the business fraternity and the pre-med fraternity. My best friend works the local bar scene. The girls I work with are as different as can be, and they keep me informed. The people I deal with daily are my moles. Aside from the people I see every day, I think one of the most important sources for story ideas is our Letters to the Editors, and now, our comments on the paper's Web site. Most people read the print-version of the paper because they read it while on campus when they're bored and don't have their laptop. If they bring their computer and they're bored, they'll check Facebook and their e-mail. Guys may visit ESPN.com and girls might see what Perez Hilton's latest rant is about. But there is hope. People do still give feedback. People do still complain.

Our readers follow the 90-9-1 rule: Ninety percent of readers are lurkers who never contribute, 9 percent contribute a little and 1 percent contribute every day on every story. People feel special when their Letters to the Editor get published. They think they're right because we ran their letter. We ran their letter because we're curious to see how other people will react to the letter. This is where crowd-sourcing plays a part in news stories. Message boards and user comments on Web site are a great source of feedback from locals. Reporters can read about common concerns, and perhaps even get tips. But I still think that everyone needs to step back and remember that people are the heart of news stories. All the latest social media are just medians for people to speak up and say what's on their mind. I bet they'd just tell you if you asked in person.

By the way, my Facebook status reads: "I love my fwends <3."
-Yeah, that would make a great news story ;)