Web and Social Media
While there can be quite the stigma around using social media platforms such as Instagram as a news source, I truly believe that social media simplifies and streamlines the chaos of the world. I currently run four instagram accounts, but use our newspaper's instagram @thechargeronline to broadcast classroom updates as well as alert our following of new online stories or a release of our print paper. Social media allows for us to share and tell our stories, allowing the audience to engage over their phone. I have nearly doubled our instagram's following since taking it over, and with society quickly changing to receiving all news from online it is crucial now more than ever to increase media exposure.
I constantly try to post and update our following with content regarding some of the fun endeavors that we have in our newsroom. Above is a pancake day that we occasionally do to celebrate sending the paper to press.
Our Instagram is always updated once an edition has been printed so that our readers can be more engaged and aware that our paper is out.
I also share all stories that are posted solely to our online platform to ensure that readers are aware of our update in articles.
Another fun newspaper social media tradition is posting weekly "Pick'Ems" during the college football season.
Sharing and updating our instagram to engage with our following is an approach that I always try to maintain to show our audience what all work is put into our final product.
A newly implemented part of the journalism/broadcast department is the coaches show that I helped spread awareness of through social media. When used correctly, social media is one of the biggest assets to modern day journalism.
I also work to upload online articles weekly to ensure that all students who wish to write an article for an audience to read are able to do so. Our web edition is something that we have worked hard on this year in particular, as the majority of audiences now receive their information via online resources.
Including all staff members is another crucial part of our web philosophy, and I work hard to ensure that all staff members are well representing by uploading their profile and adding to it whenever they come out with a story.
