Do you have a TWITTER?

[willyfantastic]

willycyaa is my twitter name

 

[Gwylan]

I need educating....how is "Twitter" essential for work ?

I'm a journalist and I use it a hell of a lot.

1) breaking news often appears on Twitter before it hits any of the wires or other news sources. I picked up a Tweet from someone in Denmark last week about s story, via Twitter I found a Danish speaker who could translate a source document and who could do an interview and we had a story written while it was still breaking on other news sources

2) I don't follow many celebrities, most of the people I follow have expertise in particular areas. That means if they recommend an article, it's normally worth reading - that saves a hell of a lot of effort in research, where I might have to trawl half a dozen or so before I find something worthwhile

3) If I want someone with particular knowledge (eg a Danish speaker), it's a lot quicker to find someone on Twitter than ringing round lots of people

4) By following Twitter trends, I can see what's interesting. It helps with tagging stories and what to use for search engine purposes

5) It's a great way to promote stories that I've written - particularly when they're picked up and retweeted.

6) It's great for picking up info out of hours - you're no longer dependent on 9 to 5 contacts but can find someone at all times of the night


It's not essential, but it makes my job a whole lot easier

 

[Bluejuice]

By the way what's your signature a quote from? I recognise it but can't place it.

Yes, yes I WAS name dropping. I was at the BBC dammit. It was exciting.

And my signature comes from the awesome Big Lebowski