SPJ holds social media training May 11; registration now open

Social media is changing the way the public consumes news. About 9 percent of all news links are accessed via social media channels. A similar percentage of news consumers say they get much of their news from Twitter and Facebook. So how can journalists best leverage their expertise and take advantage of the social media landscape? Get answers – and the practical tools needed to use Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites effectively – at the 2012 Spring Training sponsored by the Madison pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

“Social Media for Journalists” will be held May 11 in Madison. The day-long training session is available free for SPJ members or for $30 for non-members. The session, held in the Capital Newspapers auditorium, 1901 Fish Hatchery Road, will begin at 10 am and conclude at 3:30 pm, with registration beginning at 9:30 am.

SPJ suggests journalists also consider attending the 2012 national conference of the National Freedom of Information Coalition, to be held in Madison on May 11 and 12 at the Concourse Hotel. SPJ’s social media training will conclude before the NFOIC conference begins.

The SPJ social media training session will include:

* WHY SOCIAL MEDIA?: UW-Madison journalism professor Katy Culver (@kbculver); Tom Bier, general manager of WISC-TV, Madison (@tombier); and Chris Keller, digital audience developer, Madison.com (@ChrisLKeller), will discuss the importance of social media to journalism companies, ethical considerations of social media use and how journalists can best use social media.

* DETECTING ONLINE BS: Sue Robinson, UW-Madison professor (@suerobinsonUW), on how to maintain credibility while also effectively using new social media platforms; with capsule descriptions of other platforms such as Pinterest and Storify to help us build new relationships with audiences.

* THE NEW FACEBOOK: David Douglas, reporter, WISC-TV (@News3David), and Nick Heynen, social media director, Capital Newspapers (@NickHeynen), will demonstrate the Facebook timeline and discuss how to interact with readers on the popular social media site.

* HOW TO USE TWITTER: Maureen Alley, community editor, Cygnus Business Media (@MaureenAlley); Jason Joyce, digital media director, Isthmus (@jjoyce); and Jackie Johnson, reporter, Wisconsin Radio Network (@MissPronouncer), will explain how to set up a Twitter account, why to use one, best practices, and how to generate story ideas and develop sources.

* A CONTRARIAN’S VIEW: Greg Downey, UW-Madison professor (@gjdowney), suggests social media may not be as useful as many journalists suspect and that it might even harm newsgathering.

Journalists can join the Madison chapter of SPJ for $75 annually and attend the social media training and future training opportunities for free. Go to www.spj.org to become a member. College and high school journalists can apply to SPJ for complimentary registration. On-site registration will depend upon advance registrations.

Space is limited. Please RSVP to Rebecca Wasieleski, [email protected], by May 4 and pay by check to “Society of Professional Journalists, Madison pro chapter,” c/o Mark Pitsch, Wisconsin State Journal, 1901 Fish Hatchery Road, Madison, WI 53708.

Some Internet access will be available but Capital Newspapers doesn’t provide universal wireless access. Attendees may want to consider bringing a wireless air card or hot spot. We’ll be using the hashtag #spjmadisontraining.

If you have questions, please contact Mark Pitsch at 608-252-6145.

For more information about the National Freedom of Information Coalition conference, please go to: https://www.nfoic.org/2012-foi-summit.

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