1. Shoveling tweets: An analysis of the microblogging engagement of traditional news organizations Marcus Messner Maureen Linke Asriel Eford School of Mass Communications  Virginia Commonwealth University International Symposium on Online Journalism  April 1, 2011

2. Rationale  Online social networks and social bookmarking allow traditional news media to increase Web traffic  Promote news content (hyperlinks)  Breaking news coverage  Building and engaging community  Goal of study was to explore the adoption rate of Twitter by traditional news media in the U.S.

3. Rise of Twitter  5-year anniversary: 200 million users  7th most popular website in U.S.  11% of Internet users every day  International impact in news events  Citizen journalists vs. traditional journalists  Traditional news media buzz  Social bookmarking

4. Research Questions  RQ1: Adoption of social bookmarking for Twitter?  RQ2: Difference in adoption of social bookmarking for Twitter and other social networking sites?  RQ3: Difference among traditional news media in use of social bookmarking?  RQ4: Traditional news media use of Twitter?  RQ5: Difference among traditional news media in use of Twitter?

5. Methodology  Two-study approach  Social bookmarking  Twitter use  Social bookmarking  Sample: Top 99 newspapers and top 100 TV stations in the United States  March 25-26, 2009 & August 1-2, 2010  Analysis of lead story by bookmarking tools  Analysis of Twitter accounts and followers

6. Methodology  Twitter use  Analysis of newspapers and TV stations with Twitter accounts: 180 in 2009, 198 in 2010  April 4-5, 2009 & August 1-2, 2010  Analysis of tweets - Number of tweets (2009: 1568; 2010: 1112) - News value - Hyperlinks (internal/external)

7. Results: Bookmarking  RQ1: Adoption of social bookmarking for Twitter?  2009: 36.7% (n=73)  2010: 91.7% (n=182)

8. Results: Bookmarking  RQ2: Difference in adoption of social bookmarking for Twitter and other social networking sites?  2009/2010: 100% (n=199) E-Mail  2009: 96.5% (n=192) Social bookmarking  2010: 98.5% (n=196) Social bookmarking  2009: Ø 16 tools  2010: Ø 110 tools

9. Results: Bookmarking  RQ2: Difference in adoption of social bookmarking for Twitter and other social networking sites? FacebookMySpaceTwitter 2009 83.9% (n=167)38.2% (n=76)36.7% (n=73) 2010 97.5% (n=194)59.8% (n=119)91.5% (n=182)

10. Results: Bookmarking  RQ3: Difference among traditional news media in use of social bookmarking?  Television: More tools in 2010 2009 FacebookMySpaceTwitter Newspaper86.9% (n=86)41.4 % (n=41)44.4% (n=44) Television81.0% (n=81)35.0% (n=35)29.0% (n=29) Total 83.9% (n=167)38.2% (n=76)36.7% (n=73) 2010 FacebookMySpaceTwitter Newspaper94.9% (n=94)52.5% (n=52)88.9% (n=88) Television100% (n=100)67.0% (n=67)94.0% (n=94) Total97.5% (n=194)59.8% (n=119)91.5% (n=182)

11. Results: Twitter Use  RQ4: Traditional news media use of Twitter?  2009: 90.5% (n=180) have accounts  2010: 99.5% (n=198) have accounts  2009: Ø 8.7 daily tweets (max: 110)  2010: Ø 5.6 daily tweets (max: 96)  2009: 34.4% (n=62) did not tweet  2010: 26.3% (n=52) did not tweet

12. Results: Twitter Use  RQ4: Traditional news media use of Twitter?  2009: 94.3% (n=1478) tweets news related, 5.7% (n=90) personal  2010: 96.5% (n=1073) tweets news related, 3.5% (n=39) personal

13. Results: Twitter Use  RQ4: Traditional news media use of Twitter?  2009: 93% (n=1458) of tweets had hyperlinks  2010: 95.5% (n=1062) of tweets had hyperlinks  2009: 98.5% (n=1438) internal links  2010: 99.3% (n=1055) internal links 13

14. Results: Twitter Use  RQ5: Difference among traditional news media in use of Twitter?  Similar trends for adoption of Twitter:  Very similar trends for news value of tweets, hyperlinks  2010: Television increased number of tweets 20092010 Newspapers90.9% (n=90)100% (n=99) Television90.0% (n=90)99.0% (n=99) Total90.5% (n=180)99.5% (n=198)

15. Discussion  Twitter is fully adopted by traditional news media, but not used to its full potential  Mainly used as a promotional tool with extensive internal linking  Most tweets are still shovelware  Little online community building and engagement  Disconnect between Twitter adoption and social bookmarking availability

16. What to do?  More attention needs to be paid to community building  Twitter needs to be engaged as an online social network, not just another publication platform  Regular engagement, even with shovelware  Future research: Long-term study and Twitter use of reporters

17. Questions Marcus Messner Maureen Linke Asriel Eford School of Mass Communications  Virginia Commonwealth University International Symposium on Online Journalism  April 1, 2011