Journalism Accelerator Q&A on social media strategy

Journalism Accelerator has posted a summary of a recent Q&A about social media strategies. I participated as a blogger and as a social curator for small sites such as Yarn Bombing @ Your Library.

My fellow featured panalist was SocialNewsDesk founder Kimberly Wilson.

The emphasis of our discussion was on social media management, upon free tools (such as Google alerts and analytics) versus professional management.

One area particularly of interest to me was when Wilson described an anti-bullying petition set up at the television station where news anchor Jennifer Livingston was bullied by a viewer for her weight.

“The newsroom wanted to rally around Jennifer and give the community a place to come together,” Wilson said, talking about a customized App for the station’s fan page.

As a survivor of bullying, I support the use of social media to engage the community.

My perspective was that with the small scope of my volunteer activities, I do not need to invest in professional services. By doing it myself, I gain valuable skills with which to benefit an employer.