#JSticks Tweet Chat 6/8/09: TOPIC #2

TOPIC #2: Can writers who do NOT use Social Media survive the new journalism climate?

Love_Is_Dope: Absolutely not. Print is obviously dying. You have to be on that new -ish

thembithembi: My answer wasn’t much of a writer’s word, but social media is like the internet itself or the telephone. ppl who don’t will die out

russellnichols: Truth be told, I tried to avoid it for a minute. Still don’t have a FB. Just got on Twitter. Definitely necessary

tlawrites: I think it depends if you are a newbie or an established writer and what audience you are trying to attract

mbarone: Any writer, or human in general, should have an awareness and comfort with today’s new media…. but, on the flipside, I wouldn’t check if a writer pitching me has a Twitter or Facebook profile. Just strong writing clips

allaboutgeorge: Wikipedia says social media is “content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies …”

aliyasking: I mean established writers. New writers have no choice. But if you’ve been in the game, can you survive w/o social media? I met Terry McMillian last weekend. I was with @ToureX at a conference in Philly. @tourex said, “are you on Twitter?” Terry said NO

lyneka: Unfortunately, their future is at stake b/c the years you spend at XYZ organization shunning social media will affect you

allaboutgeorge: If social media creators and participants are fish (heh, from plankton to whales), the Web is the ocean

lyneka : I love love social media –just not so sure writers need a twitter or fb account. They do need web experience, tho.

aliyasking: Writers NEED to have a Facebook/Twitter account. Full stop.

bmockaveli: I don’t know, but for certain social media can’t survive without established writers

Journalisticks: Some journos confuse having an online presence with being naked on the web. Have a website/resume doesn’t have to be a diary. Perhaps older/established journos think this is the case and want to remain a fly on the wall.

tlawrites: I think new writers definitely have to incorporate it into their own self promotion. Thats what people look for.

Love_Is_Dope: Established writers don’t need Twitter et al so much b/c they have a brand, but mid-level and new writers HAVE TO HAVE IT


aliyasking: I maintain that even established writers need to get on board. Their brand becomes stale w/o social media.

Journalisticks: If used right, Twitter can showcase an established journos personality. Why not learn what makes them tick?

Journalisticks: Here are some established journos you should follow @dreamhampton @killiterati @faraichideya @nelsongeorge @tourex @harryallen

rlnave: I look for my favorite writers in magazines and library shelves, not Facebook.

lyneka: Twitter, I’ve discovered can have a negative affect because there are def. some writers I give the side eye due to twitter.

mbarone: amen to that, there’s nothing more disheartening than reading some lame Tweets from writers I respect

ToureX: I was told by an author that when Barnes & Noble is considering what books to feature they look at how many friends you have on FB.

bmockaveli: That said, I’m about to seriously pad my FB with thousands of fake friends so I can get my book in BarnesNobles

ToureX: As a writer building a brand I suggest accepting every FB friend request you can stomach.

ToureX: One way Twitter is great for writers is in finding sources. On my last story I asked Twitter who wants to be intv’d & found lots.

Journalisticks: DO YOU THINK W.E.B. DUBOIS, ZORA NEAL THURSTON, ED BRADLEY, LANGSTON HUGHES OR JAMES BALDWIN WOULD BE ON FB/TWITTER?

rlnave: If Ellison were on social media, do you think he’d make his profile…invisible?

russellnichols: Langston Hughes would be on Twitter because he liked to keep it Simple.

AquaAHH: Langston and Zora would be squabbling on Twitter and Facebook for sure.

Love_Is_Dope: Zora would def be on FB, Twitter and everything else. She was a folklorist. She would soak up the language

Journalisticks: LET’S FACE IT. MOST ESTABLISHED JOURNOS WITH YEARS IN THE GAME DO NOT HAVE TO GET ON THE WEB, THEY CAN TURN IN STORIES VIA FAX