Critiquing the Twitter-verse
Social media has recently taken some journalistic heat. Chantal Hébert questioned Twitter’s value to political reporting at the annual Minifie Lecture, hosted by the University of Regina School of Journalism. Hébert argued that social media tools may effectively narrow – not broaden – the audience, causing journalists to grow out of touch with ordinary Canadian voters. Meanwhile in Québec, coverage of Gilles Duceppe’s use of parliamentary funds highlighted the importance of placing a few verifying phone calls before tweeting. For those not satisfied with 140 characters, check out this article on a new tool for long-form e-journalism. It may interest those reluctant magazine writers who still believe in the power of words – many words.
[node:ad]Past Minifie Lectures are posted online here.
Patricia W. Elliott is a magazine journalist and assistant professor at the School of Journalism, University of Regina. You can visit her at patriciaelliott.ca.