Digital-first journalists focus on story as a process, not product. They value community collaboration and sharing information quickly on social media. Digital journalists think of obstacles as opportunities to improve and see new technologies as tools to enhance their work. They prioritize accuracy, transparency and serving as watchdogs while embracing experimentation.

1. Digital First Journos:
How we think and work
Steve Buttry
University of Texas-Arlington Shorthorn
August 15, 2012
#utashorthorn

2. Read more about it
• stevebuttry.wordpress.com
• slideshare.net/stevebuttry
• @stevebuttry
• jxpaton.wordpress.com
• stephenbuttry@gmail.com

3. Digital-first journos think …
1. Story is a process, not a product
2. Like to be first, but link when we’re not
3. Community = collaborators
4. When we hear great quote or learn
interesting fact, think, “I better tweet
that.”
5. More excited by RTs, likes, shares, pins
& links than by front-page play

4. Digital-first journalists …
6. Obstacles = war stories, not excuses
7. New gadget or social platform = tool
for better journalism
8. When news breaks, thinks of terms to
search for on Twitter
9. Journalism future is bright & boundless
10. Defies prediction (& lists), thinks of
new ideas, issues & solutions

5. Digital-first culture
• Experimental
• Willing to risk and learn from failure
• Accountable (correct & acknowledge
errors)
• Always on the learning curve
• Seeking & trying new tools & techniques

6. Digital-first values
• Accuracy • Watchdog role
• Truth • First Amendment
• Attribution • Timeliness &
• Transparency reflection
• Identification • Civility & respect
• Fairness • Diversity
• Community • Skepticism

7. Digital-first values
• Accuracy, verification
• Transparency

8. Working Digital First
• Create content for digital platforms (web,
email, SMS, social, mobile)
• Produce print & broadcast products from
content on digital platforms
• Live coverage of events
• Breaking news coverage
• Engage community

9. Beat reporter
• Beatblog
• Liveblog meetings, events
• Tweet/alert/liveblog breaking news
• Live chat on continuing stories
• Data visualization
• Curate community conversation

10. Beat reporter questions
• How to crowdsource story?
• What terms, hashtags should you search
(routinely & for each story)?
• Regular/special hashtags to use?
• People to follow? New FB pages/groups?
• Other social media to search (YouTube,
Flickr, Foursquare, Google+ …)?

11. Gathering news on the beat
• Video
• Links
• Databases
• Monitor officials, agencies, sources on
Twitter, Facebook, G+, YouTube, etc.
• Source documents to upload
• Map, timeline

12. Editors
• Monitor social media as well as wires,
scanners, etc.
• Staff questions guide digital journalism
(data, Twitter search, hashtags,
crowdsourcing)
• Urgency for breaking news, live coverage
• Edit digital content for print

13. Editors
• Listen, join & lead community
conversation (blog, social media, chats)
• Lead staff in trying new tools &
techniques
• Digital focus to daily meetings
• Post daily news budgets online

14. Copy editor
• Social & Google searches to question &
verify facts
• Writes strong SEO headlines
• Crowdsources print headlines, news
judgments

16. Read more about it
• stevebuttry.wordpress.com
• slideshare.net/stevebuttry
• @stevebuttry
• jxpaton.wordpress.com
• stephenbuttry@gmail.com