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Embracing the Change: Journalists as Social Media Influencers

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EMBRACING<br />

THE CHANGE:<br />

<strong>Journalists</strong> <strong>as</strong> <strong>Social</strong><br />

<strong>Media</strong> <strong>Influencers</strong><br />

handbook –<br />

b<strong>as</strong>ic whys?<br />

and how? to use<br />

social media to<br />

promote quality<br />

journalism


Hello,<br />

Welcome to a short chat about b<strong>as</strong>ics of social media use.<br />

We all generally know about social media and that <strong>the</strong> entire world is now getting hooked on <strong>the</strong><br />

trend of using at le<strong>as</strong>t one online social platform.<br />

If you think – “Oh, I don’t want to join <strong>the</strong> club and start using social media” – that’s fine and <strong>the</strong>re are a<br />

lot of journalists thinking <strong>the</strong> same. But, give this handbook a chance and go through first 3 - 4 pages.<br />

And if you think – “This is way too e<strong>as</strong>y, even a little kid knows how to use social media” – that’s fine<br />

<strong>as</strong> well, and it is also often true. However, we invite you to give a chance to <strong>the</strong> l<strong>as</strong>t few pages and<br />

think on <strong>the</strong> topics outlined <strong>the</strong>re.<br />

<strong>Social</strong> networks are an ever-changing field and this handbook, or at le<strong>as</strong>t some parts of it, will not<br />

age well, i.e. <strong>the</strong>y may become ‘outdated’ soon. This is not an attempt to say everything <strong>the</strong>re is<br />

about social media. Only to outline some currently b<strong>as</strong>ic and/or key advice on how to make best<br />

use of social networks and reach wider audience. We have picked up <strong>the</strong>se in our desk research, at<br />

a number of conferences and through meetings with a number of influencers. Some parts of <strong>the</strong><br />

handbook only touched upon certain topics and offered just a beginning of a wider discussion. So,<br />

ple<strong>as</strong>e take it <strong>as</strong> an invitation to start to think about social media <strong>as</strong> a perfect tool for promoting<br />

what you, <strong>as</strong> a journalist do, and <strong>as</strong> a cheat-sheet for those who have just realized that <strong>the</strong>y could<br />

get more readers, viewers and scoops through social networks.<br />

In a challenging political environment, emerging social platforms made communication more<br />

complex and truth not so e<strong>as</strong>y to find. Now that seemingly we all have information at hand, journalists<br />

are doing <strong>the</strong> most important job in reporting what’s accurate and important and in explaining <strong>the</strong><br />

context. And that should be seen, heard and seen by many, leading to better informed citizens.<br />

<strong>Social</strong> media seems like <strong>the</strong> most logical choice and appropriate channel. Give it a chance!<br />

P.S. And ple<strong>as</strong>e let us know what you think by sending us an email to:<br />

sou<strong>the</strong><strong>as</strong>teurope@boschalumni.net<br />

The project “<strong>Embracing</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Change</strong>” is taking place within <strong>the</strong> Bosch Alumni Network, a cooperation between <strong>the</strong> iac<br />

Berlin and <strong>the</strong> Robert Bosch Foundation. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are solely those of <strong>the</strong><br />

project team members.


PART 1:<br />

Current State of Play<br />

<strong>Social</strong> <strong>Media</strong> and Journalism<br />

in <strong>the</strong> Western Balkans<br />

The use of social media is in rise in <strong>the</strong> Western Balkans, <strong>as</strong> is in <strong>the</strong> world, and it is one of <strong>the</strong><br />

key parts of media industry and professional journalism in <strong>the</strong> digital sphere. Key developments<br />

concerning <strong>the</strong> internet, social media and digital platforms are an important context in which<br />

we should understand journalistic profession nowadays.<br />

Currently, more than five billion people use mobile phones while <strong>the</strong>re are more than four billion<br />

internet users, of which around 3,5 billion use social media, an incre<strong>as</strong>e globally of nine percent,<br />

most of <strong>the</strong>m through <strong>the</strong>ir phones. <strong>Social</strong> media and digital platforms such <strong>as</strong> Facebook, Twitter,<br />

YouTube, Instagram, Weibo and Yandex are among <strong>the</strong> most visited websites in <strong>the</strong> world which<br />

points at <strong>the</strong> habits of people in accessing information online. <strong>Social</strong> media are for many people <strong>the</strong><br />

main source of information, be it about <strong>the</strong>ir personal interests like hobbies or staying up to date<br />

with hard news. The presence of a journalist on social media is <strong>the</strong>refore a necessity.<br />

However, journalists are not always keen on using social media to promote <strong>the</strong>ir work <strong>as</strong> <strong>the</strong>y ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />

use <strong>the</strong>m <strong>as</strong> source of information and sphere of <strong>the</strong>ir research. Looking at <strong>the</strong> Western Balkans,<br />

journalists are in general not using social media to promote quality journalism 1 and <strong>the</strong>y are<br />

reluctant to take advantage of possibilities of advancing <strong>the</strong>ir influence through such channels.<br />

The study “Promoting Quality Journalism. Getting Quality Journalism Closer to Audiences on<br />

<strong>Social</strong> Networks: <strong>Journalists</strong> <strong>as</strong> <strong>Social</strong> <strong>Media</strong> <strong>Influencers</strong>”, conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina,<br />

Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia, in 2018 - 2019, showed three important trends:<br />

• <strong>Journalists</strong> in <strong>the</strong> Western Balkans lack media literacy to understand current state of<br />

play in wider media environment (including both traditional media and social media) and<br />

lack training in using social networking sites for promotion of <strong>the</strong>ir work, both to raise<br />

awareness and to provide <strong>the</strong>m with <strong>the</strong> tools to achieve better results.<br />

• The culture of individualism underpinning <strong>the</strong> development of social media influencers<br />

is lacking in <strong>the</strong>se post-communist countries. This incongruence of cultures is fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />

complicated by issues of journalistic ethical standards, such <strong>as</strong> not mixing facts with<br />

opinions, and understanding that social media engagement requires both.<br />

• Although social media networks are perceived <strong>as</strong> free from direct political influence and<br />

control of local political power centers, journalists still do not feel completely free to<br />

use <strong>the</strong>m. They mostly use social media to receive information from sources and getting<br />

information out to <strong>the</strong> public through social networks, although seen <strong>as</strong> free, is perceived <strong>as</strong><br />

not financially sustainable. Moreover, <strong>the</strong> lack of media freedom impedes <strong>the</strong> production of<br />

valuable content, thus journalists who work in politically controlled newsrooms do not feel<br />

proud to share <strong>the</strong> information <strong>the</strong>y produce. Those who build <strong>the</strong>ir social media presence<br />

use it incidentally <strong>as</strong> a safety net once <strong>the</strong>ir content is banned on traditional media.<br />

1 Ana Bogavac Guglielmetti and Elvira Jukic Mujkic (2019), “Promoting Quality Journalism. Getting Quality<br />

Journalism Closer to Audiences on <strong>Social</strong> Networks: <strong>Journalists</strong> <strong>as</strong> <strong>Social</strong> <strong>Media</strong> <strong>Influencers</strong>”, RBS, iac Berlin.


<strong>Media</strong> freedom, profession and industry in <strong>the</strong> Western Balkans<br />

Political and economic pressures on <strong>the</strong> media are one common problem for all Western<br />

Balkans countries. On top of that, verbal and physical attacks on journalists frequently occur in<br />

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia and <strong>the</strong> working conditions for most<br />

journalists are far from ideal. <strong>Media</strong> ownership is especially worrying issue in all four countries<br />

since murky deals and political influence through <strong>the</strong> owners affect <strong>the</strong> financing and thus <strong>the</strong><br />

editorial policies of media.<br />

Political divisions in Bosnia and Herzegovina are clearly reflected in <strong>the</strong> media content and <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

bi<strong>as</strong>, with many media reporting in line with <strong>the</strong> interests and narratives promoted by <strong>the</strong> ruling<br />

parties in different regions. Attacks on journalists who criticize and question <strong>the</strong> corruption and<br />

divisive nationalist rhetoric often face attacks, while <strong>the</strong> authorities fail to systematically sanction<br />

and correct such advances on professional journalism by prosecuting <strong>the</strong> perpetrators.<br />

<strong>Media</strong> market in Croatia, <strong>the</strong> only country of <strong>the</strong>se four which is an EU member, is characterized by<br />

strong commercial television providers, a declining print sector and rise of many online websites.<br />

Non-profit media are those who are independent from political influences but at <strong>the</strong> same time,<br />

<strong>the</strong>y are in a very difficult financial position. Ano<strong>the</strong>r concern is <strong>the</strong> media ownership <strong>as</strong> many media,<br />

which among o<strong>the</strong>r protects <strong>the</strong> interests of owners and <strong>the</strong>ir political affiliation, stand opposed to


each o<strong>the</strong>r, while independent journalists are seen <strong>as</strong> “traitors”.<br />

Montenegro stands <strong>as</strong> <strong>the</strong> worst rated country among <strong>the</strong>se four when it comes to media freedom,<br />

according to Reporters Without Borders. Self-censorship in a major problem in this country while<br />

defamation lawsuits are being used <strong>as</strong> a tool to silence those who <strong>as</strong>k unple<strong>as</strong>ant questions. <strong>Media</strong><br />

scene is divided with <strong>the</strong> public media widely supporting <strong>the</strong> ruling party and some private non-profit<br />

media standing on <strong>the</strong> side of <strong>the</strong> opposition parties. It is extremely hard for <strong>the</strong> private media to<br />

survive <strong>as</strong> <strong>the</strong> insufficient and politically instrumentalized advertising market in Montenegro.<br />

Under President Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia h<strong>as</strong> become a country where it is often unsafe to be a<br />

journalist. Some of <strong>the</strong> worrying issues are media ownership and media pluralism, <strong>as</strong> well <strong>as</strong> <strong>the</strong> fact<br />

that many attacks on journalists have not been investigated, solved and punished. There are often<br />

smear campaigns by <strong>the</strong> pro-government media against <strong>the</strong> critical and investigative reporters who<br />

mostly work with support of foreign donors. Serbian media market is flooded with tabloids and many<br />

media outlets publish unprofessional and sensationalist content.


PART 2:<br />

<strong>Social</strong> media <strong>as</strong> an alternative<br />

for journalists<br />

Current state of play:<br />

Who are <strong>the</strong> influencers on<br />

social media?<br />

<strong>Social</strong> media influencer (opinion leader, micro-celebrity, self-brands) is a person who h<strong>as</strong> (an)<br />

account(s) on social media with a significant number of posts (entailing daily or frequent posting<br />

to <strong>the</strong> account), a significant following, and who shares ‘expertise and knowledge (on a particular<br />

subject) in a manner that can be considered credible. This person can have a large number of<br />

followers, e.g. more than 50,000, or a group of o<strong>the</strong>r relevant experts in <strong>the</strong> field, important members<br />

of community, etc. following his/her account and should be considered to share au<strong>the</strong>ntic, genuine<br />

content. Every social network user can <strong>as</strong>sume <strong>the</strong> optional role and possible position of an influencer<br />

by sharing, liking and commenting on news and thus influence <strong>the</strong> knowledge and opinions of o<strong>the</strong>rs.<br />

opinion leaders, micro<br />

influencers, celebrities,<br />

bloggers, gamers<br />

all who address social,<br />

political, economic, cultural,<br />

environmental issues<br />

I n<br />

f<br />

l u e n c e<br />

2<br />

all who have significant<br />

cultural, social, political impact<br />

also active outside of social media,<br />

young or middle-aged people, <strong>the</strong>y<br />

have <strong>the</strong>ir own point of view, constantly<br />

active on social media – making sure<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir audience doesn’t forget <strong>the</strong>m<br />

Benefits of journalists using social media for promotion of <strong>the</strong>ir work<br />

As proven by some of <strong>the</strong> journalist-influencers interviewed for <strong>the</strong> research “Promoting Quality<br />

Journalism” <strong>as</strong> well <strong>as</strong> those who held a series of webinars “<strong>Embracing</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Change</strong>”, <strong>the</strong>re<br />

are many benefits for journalists when <strong>the</strong>y use social media to promote <strong>the</strong>ir work, including<br />

incre<strong>as</strong>ing trust of audience in professional journalism, advancing individual positions of<br />

journalists and fighting disinformation.<br />

2 Mapping Digital <strong>Influencers</strong>, Digital Communicators Network, 2019.


As <strong>the</strong> Croatian journalist and columnist Tomislav Klauski<br />

explained, reflecting on his experiences in <strong>the</strong> profession,<br />

times when journalists would come to work, submit an<br />

article and go home, are long behind us. Arguing that<br />

with <strong>the</strong> change to digital and omni-connected world<br />

of online and social media, he explained how <strong>the</strong> job of<br />

journalists is to stay connected and communicate with<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir audiences. Just <strong>as</strong> decades ago, when <strong>the</strong>re w<strong>as</strong> no<br />

internet and social networks, journalists had to be in <strong>the</strong><br />

streets, communicate with people and tell <strong>the</strong>m about<br />

stories <strong>the</strong>y are writing and publishing, <strong>as</strong> well <strong>as</strong> promote<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir newspapers and media houses, nowadays besides still doing that, <strong>the</strong>y need to me present<br />

online. Because <strong>the</strong> audience is on social networks, and that is where journalists should be too.<br />

“Only five years ago in Croatian newsrooms, journalists were getting a weird look when <strong>the</strong>y spent<br />

time on Facebook during <strong>the</strong>ir working hours because it w<strong>as</strong> considered <strong>the</strong>y are joking around,<br />

w<strong>as</strong>ting time or <strong>the</strong>ir precious productivity. Now being present on Facebook is obligatory to a<br />

journalist in a newsroom. Moreover, even in job calls, one of <strong>the</strong> main conditions can be activity on<br />

social networks.”<br />

Klauski sees social networks <strong>as</strong> modern-day plaz<strong>as</strong> and squares where people circulate and ga<strong>the</strong>r,<br />

where journalists listen to what <strong>the</strong>y are saying and participate in those conversations, <strong>as</strong>k questions<br />

and offer <strong>the</strong>ir media products. Journalism exists because of audience and it would be, he continues,<br />

pretentious if journalists would distance <strong>the</strong>mselves from <strong>the</strong> people.<br />

“I cannot just wait for <strong>the</strong>m to get to me. Because – to paint a picture – I did not stand on <strong>the</strong> Mount<br />

of Olives and now believers are coming to visit me and hear what I say. It is me who needs to come<br />

to <strong>the</strong>m and push my articles under <strong>the</strong>ir noses.<br />

Klauski recognizes several ways <strong>the</strong> presence of professional journalists on social media would help<br />

in fighting disinformation which is causing m<strong>as</strong>sive disruptions and harming <strong>the</strong> online sphere:<br />

• <strong>Journalists</strong> never stop being journalists, even when <strong>the</strong>y are communicating on social<br />

networks.<br />

• On social media, journalists whose posts and posts <strong>the</strong> audience likes to comment and<br />

share, can e<strong>as</strong>ily become recognizable by <strong>the</strong>ir name.<br />

• With <strong>the</strong>ir presence, name and surname, or by <strong>the</strong>ir newsroom, journalists give people a<br />

kind of security in <strong>the</strong> information <strong>the</strong>y consume.<br />

• <strong>Journalists</strong> are thought to be responsible for what <strong>the</strong>y publish and <strong>the</strong>y are likely to treat<br />

social media posts with <strong>the</strong> same care.<br />

• By promoting quality journalism, journalists can also teach people how to recognize credible<br />

sources of information.<br />

• By participation and recognizability on social networks, journalists stand against fake news.<br />

By getting closer to people, journalists are fueling <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

re<strong>as</strong>ons to trust <strong>the</strong>m, pay <strong>the</strong>m, read, click and use <strong>the</strong>m<br />

<strong>as</strong> important sources of information needed in making<br />

everyday decisions and creating opinions, which is also<br />

precious for democracy of discussion.<br />

By embracing social networks <strong>as</strong> yet ano<strong>the</strong>r tool which<br />

can help promote it, journalists can help save professional<br />

journalism, says Nemanja Rujevic, Serbian journalist<br />

working in Germany. Being especially dedicated to his<br />

audience on Twitter, he manages to stay connected and<br />

promote his stories from German media and be involved<br />

in important debates regarding <strong>the</strong> Serbian media scene.


Rujevic notices that <strong>the</strong>re are many journalists in Germany, <strong>as</strong> well <strong>as</strong> in Serbia, who have more<br />

followers on social media than <strong>the</strong> official pages of media organizations <strong>the</strong>y work for and that can<br />

help both <strong>the</strong>m individually and <strong>the</strong>ir newsroom. His experience showed him that when an individual<br />

shares some content, it reaches dozen times more people than <strong>the</strong> official media house channel.<br />

Taking on <strong>the</strong> fact that some journalists in <strong>the</strong> Western Balkans consider promotion of <strong>the</strong>ir work on<br />

social networks <strong>as</strong> a self-promotion which <strong>the</strong>y do not feel comfortable doing, Rujevic noted that<br />

such observations should be double-thought.<br />

He advised that journalists should be part of social networks, of <strong>the</strong> online community, be active in<br />

debates and sharing relevant content even from o<strong>the</strong>r media than <strong>the</strong> one <strong>the</strong>y work for.<br />

“You did not come to Twitter or Facebook just to state something: you just showed up <strong>as</strong> an important<br />

person although you don’t follow anything, you don’t respond to anybody, you never join debates, you<br />

cannot stand critiques directed at you.”<br />

“The correct way of doing it would be to join <strong>the</strong> community, to be a member of it, to follow o<strong>the</strong>rs<br />

and what <strong>the</strong>y are doing, to occ<strong>as</strong>ionally, or daily, share o<strong>the</strong>r people’s content even from those<br />

who you may call your competitors. All this refers to <strong>the</strong> content you find attention-worthy, of public<br />

interest and that <strong>as</strong> many people should see it. Only <strong>the</strong>n, when you share your content among 50<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r tweets saying: ‘People, I think this is important’, <strong>the</strong>n you won’t look <strong>as</strong> a self-promoter but <strong>as</strong><br />

a person working in public interest.”<br />

The logic behind <strong>the</strong> social network platforms is not simple and is constantly changing, but <strong>the</strong>re<br />

are some ground rules which can help navigate journalists through. The most important ones are to<br />

following in <strong>the</strong> coming chapters.


PART 3:<br />

<strong>Journalists</strong> can learn how to<br />

influence<br />

Everyone who h<strong>as</strong> following is a digital influencer – <strong>the</strong>re is only a question of a scale. <strong>Journalists</strong><br />

do not have to be media-innovators nor journo-preneurs (journalists entrepreneurs) to be<br />

influencers on social media. In social networks and platforms journalists should be discussion<br />

leaders.<br />

Influence in <strong>the</strong> capacity to have an effect and <strong>the</strong> wealth of resources available for <strong>the</strong> purpose.<br />

Digital influence depends on:<br />

• Capacity to create content<br />

• Skill of distributing <strong>the</strong> content<br />

• Art of engaging <strong>the</strong> audience and digital rapport<br />

• Scarcity – you are <strong>the</strong> unique source of your type of storytelling<br />

• Observability – you are e<strong>as</strong>y to follow and be-friend<br />

It is very important for a journalist to be recognizable in <strong>the</strong> public by <strong>the</strong>ir work and stories <strong>the</strong>y<br />

do. This is if <strong>the</strong>y want for <strong>the</strong>ir stories to have an advanced importance and influence. By, in a way,<br />

branding <strong>the</strong>mselves, journalists can be a source to whom people return to get information and<br />

to reveal information about unreported issues. This is not simple, but here are some of <strong>the</strong> most<br />

important segments of an influencer’s brand:<br />

• Being raw – looking into everyone’s eyes directly<br />

• Being relatable – an ordinary friend<br />

• Being relevant – a well-known individual whose peer opinion is worth listening to<br />

• Being human – create relationships so you can have trust<br />

• Having your own niche – you can only know much about some topics and should stick to <strong>the</strong>m<br />

• Having your own community – engage people to be your commentators, sources, critics,<br />

discussion counterparts, instead just your observers<br />

• Having a relevant reach – being followed by a relevant audience, <strong>as</strong> bigger following often<br />

means smaller engagement rates<br />

• At le<strong>as</strong>t occ<strong>as</strong>ionally, tell your audiences what to do and how to do it<br />

Ensuring recognizability and a large online audience, journalists gain <strong>the</strong>ir trust and <strong>the</strong>ir stories are<br />

shared, commented, and take a new extended life even after <strong>the</strong>y are published by <strong>the</strong> media <strong>the</strong>y<br />

work for. How to ensure bigger influence of your story:<br />

• Understand that factual reporting is not enough – you have to get your story out and<br />

reach <strong>as</strong> many people possible<br />

• Have an authority figure onboard – add someone trustworthy to support your story<br />

• Present evidence – have social groups who would improve or mimic what you are saying<br />

• Spread <strong>the</strong> word about your story through o<strong>the</strong>r channels – every little counts<br />

• Be mindful of reciprocity – create sense of obligation to users and/or colleagues to<br />

participate in sharing your story<br />

• Use <strong>the</strong> power of positive examples – <strong>the</strong>y are e<strong>as</strong>y to memorize and spread


Useful technique:<br />

Code grooming – a technique used in a rhetorical or in an argumentative paper, refers to<br />

adjusting language to appeal to certain groups of people.<br />

• Selecting perfect time for a statement<br />

• Selecting perfect placement for a statement<br />

• Selecting perfect medium for a statement.<br />

GENERAL ADVICE:<br />

• Have a full editorial calendar.<br />

• Optimize profile biographies to incre<strong>as</strong>e your visibility.<br />

• Create te<strong>as</strong>ers – announcements, simple posts with some details, countdowns, etc.<br />

• Don’t put all eggs in one b<strong>as</strong>ket – have accounts on several platforms.<br />

• Bring audience to every <strong>as</strong>pect of your story.<br />

• Pick a day and time for your publishing and keep it for consistency.<br />

• Explain your values – explain how you do reporting, provide numbers or atmosphere you get<br />

while investigating and working on your stories.<br />

• You do not only have to create content, but also curate. This is a new form of journalism <strong>as</strong><br />

gate-keeping: out of many available information, you select and share <strong>the</strong> most relevant.<br />

M<strong>as</strong>tering <strong>the</strong> different approaches on different platforms<br />

There are numerous social networks and each one of <strong>the</strong>m can be useful if people who are our<br />

audience are present. Different social networks function differently and people tend to behave<br />

differently depending which one are <strong>the</strong>y using. Thus, what is a good practice in promoting<br />

journalist’s stories on one social network might not be <strong>the</strong> best way to do it with ano<strong>the</strong>r. Here<br />

are some ground rules for <strong>the</strong> most used social networks in <strong>the</strong> Western Balkans.<br />

Facebook<br />

• Share informal photos of you, music, movies, books you like: let people know you, understand<br />

you and relate to you<br />

• Be a friend and talk to people so <strong>the</strong>y can trust you<br />

• Ask audiences what <strong>the</strong>y want to see, what questions <strong>the</strong>y want answered, what topics<br />

explored<br />

• Reply to comments and answer any questions that your followers <strong>as</strong>k you or at le<strong>as</strong>t just “like”<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir comments to show your appreciation<br />

• Create video content <strong>as</strong> a crucial tool for engaging users. Don’t use generic thumbnails for<br />

your videos, but create custom ones with not more than 20% of text on image<br />

• Utilize Facebook live videos <strong>as</strong> <strong>the</strong> most engaging type of content of <strong>the</strong> platform – share your<br />

experiences and thoughts in a way that is most watched by <strong>the</strong> users<br />

• Stand up for a cause and/or join <strong>the</strong> trending topic in your unique way<br />

• Use Facebook Insights to track and monitor <strong>the</strong> performance of your Facebook posts,<br />

me<strong>as</strong>ure impact of your content on your reach and engagement rates and to better<br />

understand <strong>the</strong> demographics of your audience.<br />

Useful app: Spark Video – helps create professional and custom videos. (https://spark.adobe.<br />

com/make/video-maker/)


Twitter<br />

• Shortly explain key elements of <strong>the</strong> content you are sharing<br />

• Give short intro and provide a link to an article or a video<br />

• Use strong quotes, impressive data, shocking information, but in re<strong>as</strong>onable manner<br />

• Do not be shy to call something a sensation or an exclusive info, if it really is<br />

• Mention authority figures: interviewees, authors, interlocutors<br />

• Be part of social networks: comment, participate in debates, respond to critiques<br />

• Don’t just show up on social networks to state something<br />

• Follow o<strong>the</strong>r users and journalists.<br />

• Share what o<strong>the</strong>r journalists publish, if you find it being of public interest<br />

• Share your own articles, videos etc. You do not look <strong>as</strong> a self-promoter.<br />

Useful app: Spark Photo – helps pick a photo, add text and apply design filters.<br />

(https://spark.adobe.com/)<br />

INSTAGRAM<br />

• Shoot videos with your phone to make it look natural<br />

• Use your face to connect with audience and tell a story<br />

• Tell your story on social media <strong>as</strong> it develops – take your audience on a journey of your reporting<br />

• Include people who have been impacted<br />

• Use polls, quizzes, questions, to engage your audience<br />

• Include ‘Swipe Up’ slide for a longer story<br />

Instagram Stories<br />

• This is <strong>the</strong> best way to present information<br />

• Make your stories daily, to stay in users’ newsfeeds<br />

• Let your stories lead to your longer content (swipe up option) – ei<strong>the</strong>r website or IGTV video.<br />

IGTV<br />

• Content should be more engaging.<br />

Useful app: Snapseed – professional photo editor. (https://play.google.com/store/apps/<br />

details?id=com.niksoftware.snapseed&hl=en)<br />

YouTube<br />

Niche topics to reach most relevant audiences:<br />

• Be very specific in what is your field of interest and scope of work<br />

• Narrow down <strong>the</strong> focus of your work<br />

• Develop a strategy for your channel<br />

Think: big fish – small pond:<br />

• Create longer videos, several per week<br />

• Create custom, interesting and appealing thumbnails and don’t use generic ones<br />

• Thumbnails can have a lot of text<br />

Make yourself searchable: think of metadata, key words, h<strong>as</strong>htags:<br />

• Use SEO strategies: key words in title, in description and in metadata<br />

• Write smart descriptions – use conversational style<br />

• Be mindful of importance of bounce rates: you don’t want people finding your video e<strong>as</strong>ily and<br />

leaving after a few seconds – deliver what you promise<br />

Useful app: TubeBuddy – browser extension that adds a layer of tools to your YouTube website.<br />

(https://www.tubebuddy.com/)


PODCAST<br />

• Ensure technical quality is high: excellent quality of sound is key<br />

• Be consistent: both in terms of timing of publishing your podc<strong>as</strong>t and type of your content<br />

• Think in 10-20 episodes: plan ahead, draft <strong>the</strong> content and record much in advance<br />

• Optimal time length of your podc<strong>as</strong>t in range of 35-45 minutes (25 minutes is a minimum<br />

length of an episode)<br />

Useful app: Anchor – all-in-one platform where you can create, distribute, and monetize your<br />

podc<strong>as</strong>t from any device, for free.<br />

OTHER NETWORKS to use, pending on your field of interest, type of<br />

reporting and intended audience:<br />

• LinkedIn<br />

• Viber<br />

• WhatsApp<br />

• Snapchat<br />

• Telegram<br />

How algorithms work on different platforms<br />

Becoming a <strong>Social</strong> <strong>Media</strong> Influencer is a process which takes time, but is worth working on<br />

especially <strong>as</strong> more influential accounts and profiles are those with smaller, niche audience.<br />

There’s no handbook on how to choose content or when to post. However, <strong>the</strong>re are some<br />

general rules that each social network h<strong>as</strong> when it comes to frequency and scheduled time of<br />

your posting. These are called algorithms.<br />

Algorithm is a set of ma<strong>the</strong>matical rules created for a platform to maintain order in how data<br />

behaves, i.e. it <strong>as</strong>sists in sorting information on newsfeed, search ranking and advertisement visibility<br />

– it controls <strong>the</strong> information we see and so it dictates where you rank in social media.<br />

Algorithms are different for each social media platform, but <strong>the</strong>y all work by <strong>the</strong> same main<br />

principles:<br />

• judging which content to show b<strong>as</strong>ed on <strong>the</strong> quality of content, user’s history of interaction and<br />

interests<br />

• focusing on encouraging social media users to post high-quality content, which is relevant and<br />

engaging o<strong>the</strong>r users<br />

• regularity and consistency of time of posting is necessary.<br />

According to some studies <strong>the</strong> highest engagement rates for most platforms is during <strong>the</strong> late<br />

morning and afternoon hours midweek.<br />

Facebook Algorithm:<br />

• It favors meaningful users’ engagement – it favors close friends’ posts which create interactions,<br />

more reactions, comments and replies – conversations (it ranks higher posts with longer<br />

comments) between users over business pages content<br />

• Even paid content depends on users’ engagement, although it is ranked separately<br />

• Live videos and videos with lots of interactions rank higher<br />

• However, it downranks posts inviting users to like and share<br />

• It downranks links to external websites, <strong>as</strong> it favors native content<br />

• It downranks clickbait and sensationalist content


• Content that h<strong>as</strong> been shared <strong>as</strong> a link over Messenger ranks higher<br />

• Facebook is also moving to using ‘Stories’ <strong>as</strong> a tool to place your content at <strong>the</strong> top of newsfeed<br />

• It calculates credibility of <strong>the</strong> user and ranks higher pages which are detailed and complete,<br />

with history of shared posts<br />

Twitter Algorithm:<br />

• Timing is most important for Twitter rankings: it ranks higher fresh and updated material than<br />

old ones, especially if it gets engagement right after being posted<br />

• Twitter offers two different sections for users: algorithmic selection and ranking of: recent<br />

tweets and older but relevant tweets; and chronological ranking of remaining tweets in reverse<br />

chronological order<br />

• It ranks higher tweets that use all 280 characters, <strong>as</strong> longer tweets get more engagement<br />

• It ranks higher tweets with higher number of comments and higher engagement rates<br />

• Twitter users see more content from people <strong>the</strong>y have engaged with in <strong>the</strong> p<strong>as</strong>t or have at<br />

le<strong>as</strong>t been reading <strong>the</strong>ir tweets<br />

• It ranks higher profiles that are interacting with <strong>the</strong>ir followers and that are part of <strong>the</strong><br />

community<br />

• It ranks higher credible users, who have filled out all biographical information<br />

• Tweet every day, even multiple times, but not too frequently, <strong>as</strong> <strong>the</strong> algorithm may recognize<br />

you <strong>as</strong> a bot<br />

Instagram Algorithm:<br />

• Most important factors in algorithm’s calculations: user’s interest, timeliness and user’s<br />

relationship – it <strong>as</strong>sumes that a user tends to comment and like frequently friend’s posts<br />

• It favors content users engage with, so it can show posts that are days old<br />

• It shows <strong>as</strong> many ads <strong>as</strong> possible – it is a platform for advertising<br />

• It favors <strong>the</strong> more time users spend looking at a post and it ranks it higher<br />

• It favors <strong>as</strong> more credible accounts that users interact with and that interacts with users<br />

• It ranks higher accounts that post regularly and does not downrank for posting too much<br />

• It ranks higher posts shared via direct messages<br />

• It will show posts in chorological order to users who open <strong>the</strong> app frequently and scroll much,<br />

o<strong>the</strong>rwise it will show <strong>the</strong> most relevant content<br />

• H<strong>as</strong>htags are useful for placement in newsfeed and in Explorers page – <strong>the</strong>y make it e<strong>as</strong>ier for<br />

people to find you<br />

YouTube Algorithm:<br />

• It favors higher number of your subscribers<br />

• It favors higher number of views on your videos<br />

• It favors higher number of likes/dislikes and comments on your videos<br />

• It favors videos with clear and consistent title, description and keyword tags<br />

• It favors videos that are 7-16 mins long or longer videos


GENERAL ADVICE:<br />

How to protect your digital influence<br />

• Integrity – be honest<br />

• Diligence – stay committed to verifying info<br />

• Au<strong>the</strong>nticity – don’t follow trends and remain original<br />

• Openness – have real conversations<br />

In <strong>the</strong> future, influence will rely on:<br />

• Problem solving<br />

• Humor<br />

• Education<br />

• Inspiration<br />

• Philanthropy<br />

• Heroes<br />

• Visionars<br />

• Building communities instead of creating for<br />

audiences


PART 4:<br />

Respecting journalistic<br />

standards and ethics on social<br />

media – drawing “red lines”<br />

Do not give up any of traditional journalistic values when using social<br />

publishing!<br />

Think of using social media <strong>as</strong> a tool in supporting your initial goal – sharing an information that is<br />

of public interest.<br />

• Goals: transparency, au<strong>the</strong>nticity and overall better connection with audiences, <strong>the</strong>ir interest and trust.<br />

Tell your boss, media owner or editor-in-chief about your social media<br />

activities!<br />

Use Opportunities:<br />

• To report: engage with real people; vetting and double-checking information you find on social<br />

media<br />

• To promote and build your brand: promote what you do and who you are<br />

• To reach more people and connect with new generations: make best use of each platform<br />

• To communicate directly with audience: <strong>the</strong>y can correct you if you are wrong or add if you are<br />

missing something<br />

• To dispel myths: react quickly!<br />

GENERAL ADVICE:<br />

Things to think twice about each time before posting/tweeting:<br />

• Does that content serve your reporting/publishing aim?<br />

• Does it influence in any way your journalistic work?<br />

• Does it clarify or bring confusion and can it be misinterpreted?<br />

• Does it look same now and in several years from now?<br />

• Does it help you do your job in <strong>the</strong> future?<br />

• Does it reach <strong>the</strong> right audience?<br />

• Does <strong>the</strong> platform (and not your media outlet or your brand) get <strong>the</strong> entire story for free?<br />

<strong>Social</strong> media are focused on personal opinions. <strong>Journalists</strong> don’t necessarily share <strong>the</strong>ir opinion<br />

with o<strong>the</strong>r users, <strong>the</strong>y don’t pick sides. They share <strong>the</strong>ir emotions and atmosphere of <strong>the</strong>ir reporting<br />

showing that <strong>the</strong>y are humans.<br />

Check your social media posts for:<br />

• Contributing to or damaging your (self)brand<br />

• Hindering your safety (online or real-life safety)<br />

• Attracting your audience and specifying type of users that follow you<br />

• Deepening trust in you<br />

• Promoting segments, details, clarifications, backgrounds of your story that will not end up being<br />

published in your original text or video<br />

• Promoting your values and contributes to overall image of you


PART 5:<br />

Who does it better?<br />

There are just a few media houses in <strong>the</strong> Western Balkans which have a strategy and/or a rulebook<br />

for use of social media, intended for <strong>the</strong>ir journalists and o<strong>the</strong>r employees. Many of <strong>the</strong>m are laying<br />

out b<strong>as</strong>ic rules of good conduct such <strong>as</strong> restraining oneself from insults or stating hard bi<strong>as</strong> to<br />

certain topics.<br />

However, traditional media outlets play an important role in helping journalists become social media<br />

influencers. It is <strong>the</strong> support of <strong>the</strong> newsroom that is highly important in progress of any individual<br />

journalist to becoming recognizable and influential on social networks.<br />

House rules: Western media and social networks<br />

Some of <strong>the</strong> top Western media houses, <strong>as</strong> well <strong>as</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir journalists, have long recognized <strong>the</strong><br />

importance of social networks and embraced <strong>the</strong>ir possibilities to advance <strong>the</strong>ir journalism and<br />

spread <strong>the</strong>ir work.<br />

In BBC’s social media guidance 3 , a framework is set out for employers advising <strong>the</strong>m about <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

own personal activities, done with friends and contacts, but not under <strong>the</strong> name of <strong>the</strong> media<br />

<strong>the</strong>y work for. It is said that <strong>the</strong>re are particular considerations to bear in mind, such <strong>as</strong>: “Don’t do<br />

anything stupid” and “remember that even though you are acting in your own personal capacity,<br />

you are on show to your friends and anyone else who sees what you write, <strong>as</strong> a representative of <strong>the</strong><br />

BBC”. Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, <strong>the</strong> advices go by saying that one should make clear <strong>the</strong>ir views expressed are<br />

personal, but that even in that c<strong>as</strong>e employees should not state <strong>the</strong>ir political preferences or say<br />

anything that compromises <strong>the</strong>ir impartiality. “Don’t sound off about things in an openly partisan<br />

way. Don’t be seduced by <strong>the</strong> informality of social media into bringing <strong>the</strong> BBC into disrepute. Don’t<br />

criticize your colleagues.”<br />

The Associated Press encourages <strong>the</strong>ir journalists to have accounts on social networks. In <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

social media guidelines 4 , it says that social networks have become essential tool for reporters to<br />

ga<strong>the</strong>r news but also to share <strong>the</strong>ir work. “We recommend having one account per network that<br />

you use both personally and professionally. Many AP journalists have had great success with this<br />

strategy.” The organization also <strong>as</strong>ks that journalists do not state <strong>the</strong>ir political views on social<br />

media and that <strong>the</strong>y must not take part in organized action in support of causes or movements. It is<br />

advised that staffers refrain from spreading unconfirmed rumors online, and from commenting on<br />

<strong>the</strong> work of <strong>the</strong>ir media outlet. They are welcomed to share <strong>the</strong> content.<br />

Warner<strong>Media</strong> to which CNN belongs, states in <strong>the</strong>ir guidelines on journalistic integrity 5 that whe<strong>the</strong>r<br />

on television or online, <strong>the</strong>ir journalists abide by high standards of ethics <strong>the</strong>y are expected to be<br />

fair and honest and to confirm <strong>the</strong> facts before online articles or TV segments are rele<strong>as</strong>ed to <strong>the</strong><br />

public.<br />

3 BBC (2011). News: <strong>Social</strong> media guidance. Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/<br />

pdfs/14_07_11_news_social_media_guidance.pdf<br />

4 <strong>Social</strong> <strong>Media</strong> Guidelines for AP Employees (2013). Associated Press. Available from: https://www.<br />

ap.org/<strong>as</strong>sets/documents/social-media-guidelines_tcm28-9832.pdf<br />

5 Warner<strong>Media</strong> (2016). Journalistic IntegrityAvailable from: https://www.warnermediagroup.com/<br />

company/corporate-responsibility/telling-<strong>the</strong>-worlds-stories/journalistic-integrity


House rules: In <strong>the</strong> Balkans<br />

Some newsrooms from <strong>the</strong> Western Balkan countries do have guidelines for <strong>the</strong>ir staff regarding <strong>the</strong><br />

use of social media, but to <strong>the</strong> best of our knowledge <strong>the</strong>y keep <strong>the</strong>m for internal use. Some which<br />

we had insight into refer to similar issues <strong>as</strong> those presented from AP of BBC. They include parts<br />

which are advising <strong>the</strong>ir employees to be aware of <strong>the</strong> publicity of what <strong>the</strong>y regardless of <strong>the</strong> privacy<br />

settings, and that <strong>the</strong>y should make sure <strong>the</strong>y emph<strong>as</strong>ize posts represent <strong>the</strong>ir own views. Also, it is<br />

advised that journalists should make sure that what <strong>the</strong>y are sharing on <strong>the</strong>ir personal accounts is<br />

still verified information and that <strong>the</strong>y should also be careful of not endorsing any politician or take<br />

sides in certain situations that might damage <strong>the</strong>ir reporting or that of <strong>the</strong>ir media outlet. Some<br />

general recommendations, in one of <strong>the</strong> guidelines of a Western Balkan media, are that journalists<br />

on social media should respect <strong>the</strong> usual principles of ethical and professional journalism such <strong>as</strong> to<br />

be accurate, fair, literate, pay attention to hate speech and be polite to commentators.


PART 6:<br />

What would editors do?<br />

Where is <strong>the</strong> support to journalists<br />

– social media influencers?<br />

Editors and managers of newsrooms in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia<br />

confirmed that <strong>the</strong> newsrooms rely heavily on promotion of <strong>the</strong>ir content on social media, <strong>as</strong> that<br />

generates new audiences. In a survey conducted within <strong>the</strong> “<strong>Embracing</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Change</strong>” project, editors<br />

and media managers have said that social media are being used regularly, some of <strong>the</strong>m coloring<br />

it by saying that those are “<strong>the</strong> newsstands of <strong>the</strong> 21st century”. Many have said that <strong>the</strong>y post on<br />

social networks of <strong>the</strong>ir media outlets <strong>the</strong>mselves while some said that <strong>the</strong>y have a staff member<br />

whose job it is to work on social media visibility.<br />

That said, however, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia most newsrooms<br />

do not have social media guidelines for <strong>the</strong>ir staff, <strong>as</strong> majority of survey responses were that “<strong>the</strong>re<br />

are unwritten ground rules” and or that it is “not regulated”, while some said <strong>the</strong>re are guidelines.<br />

Additionally, majority of responses point to <strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong>y expect <strong>the</strong>ir staff to share <strong>the</strong>ir stories<br />

<strong>as</strong> <strong>the</strong>y consider it <strong>as</strong> helpful for <strong>the</strong> reach. One editor said she told <strong>the</strong> staff that promotion is<br />

important and that <strong>the</strong>y “should learn how to promote <strong>the</strong>ir content on networks, regardless of<br />

whe<strong>the</strong>r that is <strong>the</strong> content of our media outlet or some o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>y might work for. I don’t check how<br />

much someone publishes nor I force <strong>the</strong>m to, it is all solely a matter of good will.”<br />

As much <strong>as</strong> <strong>the</strong>y emph<strong>as</strong>ized <strong>the</strong> importance of social media, when <strong>as</strong>ked whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>ir media<br />

outlet management/editorial board ever offered or provided financial incentives for journalists<br />

to promote <strong>the</strong>ir stories on social media, majority said no. Some said that it would be useful if<br />

journalists promoted <strong>the</strong>ir stories on social media, but that <strong>the</strong>y do not expect <strong>the</strong>m to do that and<br />

that <strong>the</strong>re are no investments in education in this sense. Ano<strong>the</strong>r editor said that journalists are not<br />

instructed but that <strong>the</strong>y are encouraged to promote stories on social media since it is more organic<br />

than advertising and that people can relate more e<strong>as</strong>ily if <strong>the</strong>y see an author talking about <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

story. When <strong>as</strong>ked to say whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> newsroom ever acted regarding a post on social media by<br />

some of <strong>the</strong>ir journalists, many did not comment. Several had some examples such <strong>as</strong>:<br />

• The newsroom would not support extremist views and have warned some of <strong>the</strong> journalists<br />

about that in <strong>the</strong> p<strong>as</strong>t<br />

• One editor said he did not act over a journalist’s post on social media but added that <strong>the</strong>re<br />

w<strong>as</strong> a certain amount of self-censorship<br />

• Ano<strong>the</strong>r said that <strong>the</strong>re were a couple of posts by journalists which were not in line with <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

general stands of <strong>the</strong> media house, so management talked with journalists to explain to<br />

<strong>the</strong>m that <strong>the</strong>y are also representing <strong>the</strong> media and not just <strong>the</strong>mselves<br />

Asked whe<strong>the</strong>r journalist should freely comment on <strong>the</strong>ir personal social media accounts in<br />

addition, or contrary to, <strong>the</strong> story <strong>the</strong>y reported with <strong>the</strong> media outlet, editors and media managers<br />

mainly say yes, and here are some interesting considerations:<br />

• <strong>Journalists</strong> are people and we all know <strong>the</strong>y have personal opinions – achieving total<br />

objectivity is impossible, and some editors would actually want to know journalists’ bi<strong>as</strong>es<br />

• <strong>Journalists</strong> should not comment on <strong>the</strong>ir work, public should<br />

• It is not professional, comment is subjective<br />

• There should be boundaries of good t<strong>as</strong>te, public perception and professional rules


• Its more organic and better way for a story to have a bigger reach. Readers like to see what<br />

authors think and how <strong>the</strong>y did a story<br />

• By discussing <strong>the</strong>ir work, journalists can inspire o<strong>the</strong>rs to comment and, in that way, get<br />

feedback from <strong>the</strong> readers<br />

• <strong>Journalists</strong> could be encouraged to promote content on social media, perhaps with fees<br />

• Who else can “defend” <strong>the</strong>ir work better on social media than <strong>the</strong> author <strong>the</strong>mselves<br />

• Whatever <strong>the</strong> journalist had to say, it w<strong>as</strong> already said in <strong>the</strong> article<br />

• <strong>Journalists</strong> and editors should respond only to constructive criticism and re<strong>as</strong>onable<br />

suggestions, but not to insults nor praises<br />

• <strong>Journalists</strong> of specialized niche media should communicate with <strong>the</strong>ir audience, but in<br />

mainstream news media and tabloids it would take too much time and serve no good<br />

Majority of responses said that <strong>the</strong>re should not be financial investments by media houses in private<br />

profiles of journalists on social networks – some explained that due to lack of funds but o<strong>the</strong>rs said<br />

that it should be done by individuals. However, <strong>as</strong>ked whe<strong>the</strong>r journalists should be social media<br />

influencers, editors and media managers mainly said yes.<br />

Those is support of journalists becoming influential on social networks commented, among o<strong>the</strong>r,<br />

like this:<br />

• Yes, because <strong>the</strong>y are informed and analytical and <strong>the</strong>y understand what is happening<br />

• It is a tricky question. Those who are real professional journalists – yes, <strong>the</strong>y should, but<br />

those who serve someone or are radical – not at all!<br />

• <strong>Journalists</strong> should be influential but also careful not to impose <strong>the</strong>ir own opinion on <strong>the</strong><br />

o<strong>the</strong>rs. However, it can get complicated, since social media influencers are not taken<br />

seriously and that can lead to re-questioning of a journalist’s work<br />

• I would leave it to individual decision. Any journalist should give it a try if <strong>the</strong>y feel like it.<br />

However, for many journalists it is hard to comment and publish even after worktime<br />

• Yes, sure – we already do it in our stories and TV and on radio <strong>as</strong> commentators, why not<br />

on social media but <strong>the</strong>re h<strong>as</strong> to be a line, it’s a delicate thing but can be done. <strong>Journalists</strong><br />

should use <strong>the</strong>ir position to influence general audience, to explain and give context to events<br />

Some of <strong>the</strong> comments against or in doubt of this idea were:<br />

• I think it is not <strong>the</strong>ir business to be that – journalists should not be judged by <strong>the</strong> number<br />

of followers and likes <strong>the</strong>y have on social media (if it is organic, <strong>the</strong>n I am not against it)<br />

• To <strong>the</strong> extent <strong>the</strong>y can mediate stands from <strong>the</strong> articles in a positive and objective way,<br />

journalists should have <strong>the</strong> influence, but unfortunately that influence is often misused<br />

• If <strong>the</strong>y think <strong>the</strong>y are participating in politics that way <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong>y are sliding into political<br />

PR, but if <strong>the</strong>y are using social networks to pressure <strong>the</strong> politics to respect human rights,<br />

<strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> social media influence is justified<br />

• <strong>Social</strong> media enabled anyone to be a “journalist”. We should all work to make <strong>the</strong> news<br />

which appear on social media become more accurate and more reliable and only “qualified<br />

journalists” should share <strong>the</strong>m.<br />

• Some editors noted that journalists should not promote <strong>the</strong>ir stories on <strong>the</strong>ir private<br />

social media accounts <strong>as</strong> “media packages are not produced for personal use”.<br />

There were in deed opposing views regarding <strong>the</strong> use of social media, but <strong>the</strong> majority agreed it is a<br />

very important segment of journalism and media today and that it is not exploited and used enough.<br />

However, journalists who have made <strong>the</strong> most of <strong>the</strong>ir profession tend to listen to <strong>the</strong> audience and<br />

exchange views and information with <strong>the</strong> people, and that h<strong>as</strong> helped <strong>the</strong>m to follow stories and<br />

provide <strong>the</strong> right context.


<strong>Social</strong> media h<strong>as</strong> provided an invaluable access of journalists to <strong>the</strong>ir audiences, brought <strong>the</strong>m to<br />

sources of information for <strong>the</strong>ir stories and a place for research but also an excellent opportunity to<br />

receive feedback, suggestions and criticism which can help <strong>the</strong>m do better <strong>as</strong> professionals. Many<br />

journalists in <strong>the</strong> world are dedicated to building <strong>the</strong>ir own brands and in that way secure more<br />

independence and opportunities for <strong>the</strong>mselves, but <strong>the</strong> overall idea is still not widely discussed<br />

among journalists and editors in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia.<br />

General recommendations<br />

Influencer gets bigger following by being promoted in traditional media<br />

Traditional media stories reach more audiences after being promoted by an influencer.<br />

<strong>Media</strong> outlets should feature <strong>the</strong>ir journalists/reporters on <strong>the</strong> media outlet’s social media<br />

platforms to help <strong>the</strong>m grow <strong>the</strong>ir following and influence.<br />

Newsrooms should provide training for journalists influencers;<br />

Training, standards <strong>as</strong> well <strong>as</strong> financial incentives should be offered by media outlets <strong>as</strong><br />

relying on personal initiative h<strong>as</strong> proven insufficient.<br />

Offering monetization opportunities by <strong>the</strong> biggest tech companies and owners of social<br />

networks, even small incentives in small markets, would be of great significance for<br />

journalists’ social media presence and ultimately independence.<br />

Thank you!

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