Covering Crime on Twitter
Let’s talk all things, microblogging.
Definition:
Microblogging is the activity or practice of making short, frequent posts to a microblog.
Microblogging allows anyone with something to say to find an audience.
Some of you may not know but alongside this blog I also run a Twitter account, a Facebook Page and have designed some pretty cool Instgram stories (if I do say so myself).
Before delving into this crime journalism blog I had never heard of ‘microblogging’ let alone consciously done it myself.
It was only through exploring Twitter and how crime journalism is presented on the platform that I began to understand the concept.
In simple terms microblogging is having something to say and saying it. On Twitter we see this all of the time — the platform depends on it.
Due to my interest in true crime of course I focused my microblogging on that topic but I also set out to see what discussions were already being had.
Most importantly I wanted to see how transferable crime journalism and reporting is through how it is presented on Twitter.
This blog post will summarise my findings, and of course share my own experiences.
Key Findings:
- Hashtags — join the conversation and share information
- Hunt for Justice — sharing videos of crimes to identify victims and perpetrators
- News highlights — a great way, digestible way to share headlines
Hashtags
Microblogging on Twitter enabled me to utilise the # more often. This also meant that I could see the impact.
In terms of joining the conversation I kept on top of the ‘Trending’ feed and shared the #JohnLennon to remember the day of his tragic murder. It was this tweet in particular that captured my first interaction — 1 like. Not a lot but something, It highlighted that my microblog was getting out into the Twitter-sphere.
I also used certain ‘buzz words’ to locate the exact content I was after. A great example of this was to search the hashtag — #crime.
Did You Know: In one hour the hashtag #crime can be used 240 times
It is knowing facts like this, understanding what is trending, that enables you to reach an audience much more efficiently.
Typically within crime journalism content on Twitter uses the following hashtags:
- #FBI
- #Location (of crime reported)
- #cyberaware
Hunt for Justice
Another key use of Twitter for crime reporting/journalism I found was for identification. Whether the focus was on an arrest warrant or a missing person Twitter was used to share identification photos all over the social network.
Currently there are 330 million active monthly Twitter users and 145 million daily users. This is a staggering amount of people with multiple connections. These statistics alone showcase the importance of using social media to catch criminals or get a missing persons face out there in the hope to bring them home.
I saw the power of this when I retweeted a CCTV video of a crime committed in Liverpool in early December.
24 hours and 264 thousand views later, an arrest was made.
All of which was updated via Twitter. This short, to the point way of reporting leads me on to my final point.
News Highlights
One of the main things I noticed came from how the Bournemouth Echo use their Twitter feed.
Each day they share a round up of their headlines. Although this is a simple concept I made note of how important this is for people on the go.
Not only does it make news easier to consume it removes the excuse many of us give for not actively checking up on our local news — there is always time for a refresh of your Twitter feed.
I retweeted a similar post made on Monday and through the interactions I received it became apparent that many of us find this a useful way to recieve our news.
With the added bonus of a great choice of GIF’s too, the best way to start your day.
So, Why Microblog?
Having never microblogged before I think now that there is a lot to be said for it.
As the definition suggests it is the perfect way for anyone with something to say reach an auidence. Not only an audience to listen but one consisting of people who share the same values as yourself.
Simply: it is quick, easy and convenient.
In previous blogs I have discussed the entertainment value of true crime and just how many people, like myself, find the topic interesting. Through my use of Twitter I have become even more aware of this.
Equally, I have become more conscious to how vital social media can be helping with crimes as they unfold. The power of a retweet in this sense is immense.
In regard to crime journalism specifically, many journalists and crime reporters use the platform to raise awareness of:
- On-going cases
- Arrest warrants
- Reports of local crimes
- A way to reach out for more information
Really the question is: Why Not Microblog?
Give it a go and see what you think.
