This document discusses how Twitter can be used as a tool for journalism. It provides four main ways journalists can use Twitter: 1) for communication with sources and experts, 2) as a source for finding news stories and events, 3) as a production tool for live blogging, and 4) as a publishing channel to distribute news. It also recommends five tools that can help journalists stay organized on Twitter: Tweetgrid, Twitscoop, Twhirl, Tweetdeck, and Twitterfeed.

1. as a tool for journalism February 2009 John Einar Sandvand www.twitter.com / JohnEi

2. How a news story came about A Norwegian Twitter user sent out a photo of an airplane accident at the airport in Oslo. It was picked up by a reporter, who immediately wrote a story for Aftenposten.no

3. Gullreporter What is all this Twitter stuff? - ???????

4. Aftenposten The idea behind Twitter is very simple: You write small status messages of maximum 140 characters. That’s really all you can do. - what you do in 140 characters

6. Gullreporter But why so much fuzz about Twitter if all you can do is to write short status messages? - ???????

7. Aftenposten Because this simple functionality opens for unlimited ways of using it. But a lot of it happens outside Twitter.

9. Some basic functions Main page: Messages from all you follow – open for everyone to see Direct messages: From a person to another – visible only for the two of them Who is following whom: Visible for everyone who wants to check

10. The biggest challenge Gullreporter Help! Twitter is just chaos! I am overloaded by messages and get very stressed. Most of it is only noise or noisence anyway.

11. Aftenposten Twitter will be useful only when you creater order in the chaos. Know what you will use it for and get tools to help you - create order!

12. Gullreporter OK – so tell me: What different ways can Twitter be used by journalists? - ???

13. Aftenposten There are essentially four ways Twitter can be used by journalists: - 4 ways of using Twitter

14. Aftenposten More than anything else, Twitter is a tool for communication. You can communicate with sources, eye witnesses, experts or others. - method 1: Communication

16. Aftenposten By tracking the correct key words you may pick up dramatic events and important news stories very quickly - method 2: Source for news stories/articles

17. Flight landing on Hudson River

18. Aftenposten Twitter can be an excellent tool for live blogging – with several reporters and/or readers sending messages to the same feed - method 3: Production tool

19. Obama inauguration: VG.no (Norway) used Twitter The Twitter feeds from reporters was transferred live from their mobile phones to the live blog

20. Aftenposten You can easily include pre-defined Twitter searches or Twitter feeds in an article : http://www.aftenposten.no/reise/article2900689.ece - Import Twitter searches in an article The example is made by a widget from http://www.tweetgrid.com

21. Aftenposten Twitter is yet another channel to distribute news – both as authomatic feeds or individual messages - method 4: Publishing channel

24. Andreas Lunde, ABCnyheter.no: Live blogging from Gaza Eye witness Receives practical help from readers Answers questions Offers extra photos on Flickr Tells about new articles

25. Aftenposten Four methods to use Twitter for journalism: 1. Communication 2. Source 3. Production tool 4. Publishing channel - Summary

26. Gullreporter Wow! This is very useful! But how do I do it? Are there tools to help me stay on top? - Staying on top

27. Aftenposten There are hundreds of tools. In fact these applications are as exciting as Twitter itself. Her are 5 tools you can use: - The tools

28. Aftenposten The first tool is Tweetgrid . With this application you can get live updates on the search words of your choice - Tool 1

29. Aftenposten Next tool will do some of the same, but in a different way: twitscoop.com It also visualizes trends in global Twitter usage - Tool 2

30. Aftenposten Many choose to download dedicated applications to their PC which make it easier to use Twitter. Two alternatives: Twhirl and Tweetdeck - Tool 3

31. Aftenposten Sometimes you need to find a specific person. One tool to help you with this is Twellow - Tool 4

32. Aftenposten Many media companies establish Twitter accounts which autumatically push all new articles to its followers. Often Twitterfeed is used. - Tool 5

33. Aftenposten And then a bonus service to those struggling to find interesting people to follow on Twitter. Follow: http://www.twitter.com/MrTweet - No friends?

34. Aftenposten Here are two articles (in Swedish): http://tinyurl.com/aa89wv and http://tinyurl.com/al6ckv - Twitter-ABC for journalists

35. Gullreporter This is great! I am in! Follow me at http://www.twitter.com/Gullreporter  - Follow me, follow me!