by Daniel J. Gansle

Created on: May 05, 2009

When the blogging website Twitter burst upon the scene in 2006, some debated its survival in the era of Facebook and MySpace dominance. Yet since that time, the 140 character-or-less microblogging site has enjoyed explosive growth and immense popularity.

Among those taking advantage of Twitter's functionality are journalists of all stripes. From local media to high-profile national news anchors including David Gregory, host of NBC's Meet the Press, the Twitter craze has impacted the world of journalism in tangible and amazing ways. But exactly how can journalists harness the power of Twitter in only 140 characters or less? The answer is quite surprising.

The Power of Twitter

Recent reports have shown that Twitter traffic has surpassed that of both Digg and the venerable Google Blog Search. With the online blogging market share shifting toward Twitter, numerous third-party websites that dig through Twitter to find top news are emerging. Indeed, with Twitter's integration with SMS mobile phone text messaging technology, journalists can instantly broadcast the latest news feeds to a wide-ranging audience.

Using Twitter for Audience Interactivity

Taking the example of NBC's Meet the Press, journalists have embraced Twitter for its ability to quickly spread the word about participatory events such as interactive chats. Meet the Press features a "Take Two Web Extra" where viewers can ask Meet the Press guests questions after the show. Using Twitter, Meet the Press can promote Take Two and add a link to the Take Two website.

Journalists can also use Twitter to promote live web chats. For Meet the Press, David Gregory often promotes web chats using Twitter and provides a link back to the MSNBC website where the chat is to take place.

Using Twitter for Video and Television Advertising

With the advent of video social networking websites including YouTube and Google Video, watching videos on the web has become a very popular way to disseminate news and information. Journalists can harness the power of online video by providing links to their respective websites where viewers can watch videos of current and past programming. Video has also become a source of advertising revenue.

Using Twitter for Print Journalism Promotion

Journalists can use Twitter to promote interesting articles and to generate interest in their publications. For example, The Washington Post uses Twitter to provide links back to articles in their various sections including Sports, Metro, Entertainment News, and Politics. Print journalists can also use Twitter to link to live video events such as presidential news conferences and Congressional briefings.

Bottom line, Twitter is a very powerful tool used by journalists of all stripes to engage audiences around the world and to instantly disseminate news and information to mobile readers. With an ever-expanding reach, Twitter is poised to change the face of journalism and the way citizens obtain their news.

Learn more about this author, Daniel J. Gansle.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.