news on the tweet

Why are respected news brands good news for Twitter?

Respected brands are very important for news on twitters as links to headlines from a unverified account may not be as accurate, where as a headline tweeted by the BBC is more likely to be accurate as the BBC is a respected brand and will have investigated the headline themselves to find out if it is true or not.  

The role of news in all of this became apparent when we asked the Twitter sample how much they agreed or disagreed with a range of statements about their interest in news content. They like to follow the news as it happens; like to see it breaking on Twitter; and enjoy the combination of Twitter and news content. They also enjoy the personalisation, debate and finding communities of like-minded people, which are all elements of their news experience.  

Why in turn is Twitter good for respected news brands?

Twitter is good for respected news brands as it gives them the chance have greater views and values. This is because twitter is a massive organisation and have millions of users therefore gives the audience a chance to share each others opinions. Twitter has also been affective in the advertisement of news brands through things like "click bay" which is a type of headline that makes you want to click on it.

"Twitter gives me the opportunity to engage with newspaper brands I would not normally read in print format" - 60%

"Twitter helps me feel more connected to newspaper brands I like" - 53%

The report suggests that old and new media “are not, in fact, in direct competition, but often work extremely well together to enhance both the media eco-system and the consumer experience”. What evidence do they provide to support this idea? Do you agree with it?

I agree that the old and new media are not in direct competition however they do work better together and have a positive impact on the audience. This is because they provide all four key benefits in a variety of ways. Firstly, it gives everyone a chance to have a little gossip and banter, as the public can create trends and debates on social as well as political debates. Secondly, it gives the opportunity to be the first one to know. It provides instant knowledge on the latest news where as before you had to wait the next day for latest news to be printed in the newspapers. 

Thirdly, twitter has given the public a chance to become a community. What I mean by this is the now like-minded people can connect via twitter and share ideas. This is very important as it is bring everyone together as a group and helps them to connect amongst themselves. 

Lastly, twitter has given the audience an opportunity to have their own say on any type of debate going on all over the world. Giving people the chance to be a part of the wider debates happening around the world.

On page 24/25 of the report, the focus turns to 'gossip' or 'banter'. What example tweets from journalists are used to illustrate this? 

There are several different types of tweets from journalists have been used to illustrate the focus on gossip and banter on twitter. One example use is from the Daily Mail Celebrity asking "Do these pants make Kim Kardashains bum look big?" and another tweet from Dan Wootton saying "Red carpet awks moment from last night as my microphone cord gets stuck to @KlassMyleenes dress!"

Do you think the increasing amount of 'gossip' or 'banter' is harming the reputation of news and journalists?

I think in a way the increasing amount of 'gossip' and 'banter' is harming the reputation of news and journalists as it gives the audience the idea of them taking their job as a joke. 

“I love a good laugh and tweeters will often take the mickey when a story appears. A light-hearted approach is refreshing”

The quote above is supportive in my view as it clearly states the most twitter users often laugh and take the mickey out of the news which appears on their timeline. This proves that the reputation of the news and journalists is going down. 

What does the report say about trust in Twitter and journalists (look at pages 34-39)?

When it comes to news content, trust is an important part of the process. Almost half of all Twitter users, and almost two thirds of newsbrand users, say it is important that news on Twitter is verified by a respected brand. This helps build trust in the content.

“It is important that news on Twitter is verified by a respected brand” - 45%

Finally, do you think new and digital media developments such as Twitter have had a positive or negative impact on traditional newspapers?

Overall, I think that new and digital media developments such as Twitter have had a positive impact on traditional newspapers. This is because of several reasons where NDM has improved the way news is now interpreted by its audience. An example of this would that a labour party audience would follow conservative news papers in order to understand the other side of the argument and the conservative audience ultimately does the same thing with the labour party to understand that side of the debate. It has also given audiences the chance to create their own opinions with in these different newsbrands and even follows newsbrands they may not be interested in as well as following institutions they are interested in.