Skip to main content

Utilizing social media to report on COVID-19

I felt a little hindered at first, knowing that because of the coronavirus I couldn’t visit the television station and whip up a story like I normally would. But, being a multi-media journalist means being flexible. So, I and some fellow Troy University student journalists are reporting the news the best we can while also practicing social distancing; via social media. 

Because I can’t necessarily create a TV news package, because I really don’t have much to film in my home, I’ve had to rely more on a print format. I’ve reached out to the university and will soon reach out to students through my phone to get information from sources. 

I’m currently working on a story for Troy University’s student newspaper, The Tropolitan, about on campus dining closures. Many restaurants have closed down shop to prevent the spread of the virus.  All dining options in the Trojan Center are unavailable, and a few other eateries have new, temporary hours. Troy’s dining hall is now offering to-go orders for students, so they can eat meals in their dorm rooms. I was able to get this information without even having to leave my home and will include it in my article and on my Twitter. 

Speaking of Twitter, I’ve used the platform to share quick news updates to my followers. From retweeting the latest stats on confirmed COVID-19 cases across the state of Alabama, to writing my own content; Twitter has been a helpful tool to share quick spirts of information.  

As updates come in, I’m cycling them out to my following. A really big story I shared was the Dothan Eagle’s article on a confirmed case in Dothan; meaning that Troy residents are now surrounded, as cases are in Dothan and Montgomery now. 

Yesterday, I tweeted about how a local restaurant was taping off tables to prevent guests from sitting too close to other people dining in; a simple precaution that I thought my followers would find interesting.  

Today, I made a quick trip to the grocery store and noticed a near empty shelf which once held toilet paper. I snapped a photo and tweeted it out with #coronavirus; allowing my followers to know that only a few more rolls of toilet paper were available for purchase. 

A big take away from all of this is that news can be shared a variety of ways, and it’s our job as journalists to do it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The production team: the unsung heroes of news

So, you’re making a newscast. Who do you need? A news anchor or two, a weather anchor, a sports anchor, a couple reporters and that’s it, right? Not exactly.  There are faces behind the faces, and as deep as that sounds, its true. Behind every anchor is a director calling the shots, a camera person framing the angles and an audio technician balancing sound levels. The production team brings the show to life. Before every newscast, the production team is preparing for the show. While some team members may actually be broadcasting another live program, other team members work to create graphics for each story in the newscast. Those name graphics, fancy over the shoulder graphics and monitor graphics don’t make themselves. The production team whips them up in editing software. At Troy TrojanVision News, our production team arrives at least two hours before every newscast to prepare the show. They work hard in a booth beside the studio, creating graphics, as the producers ...
Post a Comment
Read more

TV journalists social distance & report from home

The coronavirus outbreak has flipped many people’s lives upside down. Employees who used to work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. are now stuck at home, either completing work online or waiting for this pandemic to end.  Obviously, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and those in the food industry are considered “essential” workers because people need access to these things to survive. What some may not realize is that journalists are also essential workers, because the communication of newsworthy events is needed now more than ever to keep people safe. Journalists are the ones keeping the public in on the loop that is the coronavirus. They are working around the clock to report Covid-19 cases, and what political leaders are saying to their local communities to keep them safe. Journalists out in the field and in press conferences, like the one’s with Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, are maintaining their distance from interview subjects and other reporters. Many are strictly staying six feet away...
Post a Comment
Read more

Localize it: Coronavirus

Apart of being an effective journalist is localizing stories. What does that mean? It means I examine the impact broad, national or international stories are having on our local communities. Every story must put people first, so by looking at how people are being affected in a smaller community, we understand the real implications of a large newsworthy event.  The Chinese Coronavirus has made many headlines lately, and rightfully so. CNBC reports that 563 people in China have died so far from the disease, with a confirmed 28,000 cases reported.  The outbreak has been devasting for the people of China, which is why countries are keeping a close eye on international travel to and from the region. People fear the spread of the virus.  How could an outbreak in China be localized? Well, now it’s in the United States. As of Wednesday, NBC reports that 12 cases of the disease have been brought into the U.S. This may remind some Americans of the Ebola outbreak that...
Post a Comment
Read more