Sunday, October 7, 2018

She Really Said That: Tweets as Verification of He Said, She Said News

A random question raised the idea that we ought be bothered by the presentation of information in modern news reporting; specifically, about the common practice of adding tweets within articles which detail social media dialogue that's taken place.
Is it just me, or does it irritate anyone else that the media seems to find it necessary to report what someone tweets word for word, and then immediately attach a copy of the tweet? Is this some kind of mechanism they employ to assist [sic] us poor ignorant masses think this is good journalism?
Journalism has changed, a lot! There are at least a couple of reasons authors include "a copy" of a tweet they've quoted.

  • When an author takes time to paraphrase or quote and embed tweets, the  embedded tweet isn't necessarily added for journalistic integrity alone. An embedded tweet usually has the ability to communicate directly with the account of a referenced party, adding an additional level of communication and networking capability to the original content.


Via the tweet above, a reader is able to officially (via Twitter API) "Like" the tweet, by clicking or tapping the heart. It's also possible to visit the Twitter account of the user simply by clicking the user icon next to the heart within the embedded interface.

Alternatively, a reader might be more interested in attempting to begin a conversation, or in leaving a comment; the embedded tweet makes it easy to do so by functioning as a direct lead or an encased tool.

  • The embedded tweet (object) within an article (compound object) does lend enforcement to claims made by a reporter or author, whether in quote or paraphrase, which makes the practice an easy form of journalistic verification for as long as the tweet isn't deleted. 

Any perceived redundancy of an author's quote or paraphrase plus the tweet is a matter of style, and the kind of story a writer wants to tell (or that a publisher will host).

Generally, readers should expect details in plain text while verification may be added via footnote, hot link, or embed code--each a distinct mode of operation to deliver the same source information in a different way.

What are some other reasons an author might embed tweets?

  • Calls to Action, e.g., "Tell Jane Tech what you think about the statement she made on Twitter last night!"
  • Branding, e.g., showcasing satisfied customers

Common venues for embedded tweets are gossip columns and reports, including entertainment and political articles, as well as business websites and blogs.


FURTHER READING:

Learn how to embed tweets and be on your way to greater engagement, via Social Media Examiner.

 Five great calls to action for Twitter, via AdWeek

About embedded objects, via Techopedia
No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)