Twitter Brings Viewers and News Together

Misty Montano, an assignment editor at CBS 4 in Denver, provides perspective on how the station is using Twitter to achieve advocacy, transparency and interactivity. You can find CBS 4 on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook and check out their Website.

Advocacy.  Transparency.  Interactivity.  These are the goals we have at CBS4 News when we use multiple social media platforms.  When we connect in the community, connect with potential or long-time viewers, outside of our newscasts we strip away preconceived notions of a king on the mountain looking down on the town folk.  On Twitter we are completely open and in your house.  As News Director Tim Wieland says, we are now the dinner guests at your dinner party.

We started our Twitter account, @cbs4denver, last fall, but our voice on Twitter didn’t start to take shape until the beginning of this year.  It was quickly realized that those who use Twitter don’t want to just follow an RSS feed of headlines or promotions.  Many media outlets are trying to figure out how, if at all, to use social media.  The beauty of Twitter is that it is whatever you want it to be.  Have a goal, a strategy and use Twitter to achieve those items.  Our goal is to connect our brand of empowering, insightful, relevant news with our community.

A Twitter team was formed among the news staff so many people of different positions in the newsroom would be able to Tweet and interact with those on Twitter.  Many voices on our Twitter account allows for our goal to be met.  We are able to share the knowledge and experience of many on @cbs4denver.  The prime example of this is when Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida logs into the account, announces he’s there to answer your questions for an hour, and does just that.  Another example is our Twitter surgery.  We were the first news station to partner with a local hospital, Presbyterian Saint Luke’s Medical Center, to Tweet live during a pediatric operation.  Dr. Hnida was able to share what was happening in the operating room and answer questions and concerns.  This achieves advocacy.

We Tweet during our editorial meetings to share how we decide what news to cover.  We ask what you want to stories you want covered.  We open a discussion on Twitter to hear your opinions.  We respond to your comments and your questions.  During the spring storms Twitter was an amazing resource for us in the newsroom and an informational tool to those following us on Twitter.  People were sharing weather updates from their homes, businesses, and drives.  They sent us pictures and video to show us what it was like for them.  We not only re-Tweeted these posts for everyone else to also see, but we aired some of the Tweets, pictures and video.  This achieves interactivity and transparency.

Most times whoever is on @cbs4denver signs the Tweets or starts off the string of Tweets by announcing who is typing away.  We try to be very clear on when stating opinions verses facts.  It’s okay to acknowledge when we don’t know the answer, and share with you that we will try to find the answer.  We accept criticism and when possible will respond to it.  Often the critique will be re-Tweeted and our response will follow.  In February I saw a Tweet claiming a story we’d aired showed the wrong video.  I checked the video and script.  I found the person who sent the Tweet was correct; there was a mistake.  I responded, thanked the person for pointing it out, admitted the mistake and explained how it was being fixed.  This achieves transparency and accountability.

It’s not just the community that benefits from a two-way conversation with the news staff.  From Twitter we have found news stories.  We have found resources for stories.  We have found the human element, which is key to telling an insightful story.  Before using Twitter the human element could be elusive and hard to find.  It’s usually easy to find the expert, but not always the person who can relate to the story.  Now Tweeting what we’re searching for often leads us to the interview that is needed.

Twitter is a forum where PR professionals and everyone else can pitch story ideas to the station.  It’s a great place for PR professionals to learn what stories the reporters are working and to suggest who we can interview or turn to for more information.  Personally, I save the direct messages and at replies I receive from those who introduce themselves and share how they may be a source or can provide sources for future stories.

Twitter is just one social media platform CBS4 News is utilizing.  It won’t be the last.  As social media evolves, the station will evolve to best stay connected and involved with our community.