by Melissa Slager

Created on: July 15, 2009

Journalists can at times be like your grandpa - clinging to old-fashioned ways of doing business, a bit crotchety and ever skeptical.

Bring up the topic of Facebook, the wildly popular online social networking site that now logs 250 million users, and you're as likely to hear dismissive murmurs as anything else.

That said, more journalists are flocking to social media tools like Facebook, and they're finding as much practical use for their profession from the application as requests for friends, flair and FarmTown life.

Here's a snapshot of some of the most effective ways to use Facebook as a journalist:

Source building. There's something to be said about joining a fad that has reached so many, including college students as well as their parents. It's about going where people congregate, and these days that's as much online as on the streets. In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007, for example, reporters used Facebook groups to find immediate access to a plethora of potential sources and eyewitnesses - certainly an asset in any crisis where the scenes of crimes are quickly cordoned off.

Getting information quick. Those who are not on Facebook often already know about its existence because they're frequently the last to hear a particular tidbit about a friend's life. "Oh, didn't you see it on Facebook?" Information travels fast online, particularly on social networking sites. To again cite the Virginia Tech shootings, some names of the dead were posted on Facebook before they were officially released.

Researching. With a proper amount of caution, Facebook can be a starting place to learn about sources, break news and to generate new and interesting story ideas. Learning about a particular topic? There's likely a group dedicated to it - from rubber chickens to brain surgery. An Orlando newspaper last year wrote a story about a lack of water fountains at a new university stadium after stumbling upon a Facebook group dedicated to the architectural oversight - particularly on a 95-degree opening day.

Being accessible. Journalism is not a one-way street, and reporters need to be accessible to the community. No one develops stories or writes well-rounded articles by living in a cave. Having a public profile provides another way for interaction, a way that some people find less intimidating. Some journalists encourage opening a personal Facebook profile to everyone, where broadcasts for source requests move

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