News Curation and Storify.

News curation. The discovery and gathering of newsworthy content, sources and data that allow a journalist to piece together a story. Put simply, it’s something all journalists do. Take, for example, collecting information on an incident of interest to the general public. Reporting back would require research into the time, the date and the place. Throw into the mix quotes from witnesses, opinions of those concerned or viewpoints from local experts or academics and suddenly you’re curating a variety of content that will create a clear picture for your audience.

In recent years, news curation has evolved more significantly into digital curation, due to the increasingly technological advancement that makes social media at the forefront of journalistic tools. A prime example of this is Storify. Launched in 2010 by co-founder Xavier Damman, Storify allows its users to create both stories and timelines by incorporating articles with social media from a search engine sidebar, from anything along the likes of Twitter posts, Facebook and even YouTube videos. 

From personal experience, using Storify is both an engaging and interesting device in expanding the credibility and interest of my stories. By allowing me to incorporate a diverse range of media, readers can dictate which aspects of the article they wish to pursue further, if any, meaning the story I create is quite literally beyond my own. Enabling the inclusion of Tweets and statuses means I have been able convey opinions from members of the public, in turn portraying how digital curation has changed journalism with an active platform where journalists and users alike can participate in joint reference and discussion. Digital publishing director for Trinity Mirror blogged about the way in which journalists can use Storify and outlined his top 12 tips for using it effectively, a guide I found beneficial when using the platform myself.

Social media aspects aside, it has also prompted me into considering the validity and reliability of each source I use before implementing it within my own work. As easy as it is to simply drag and drop an article that “sounds about right” from the seemingly endless content, it’s essential to check before publishing what you're actually linking to, meaning my use of Storify has been both entertaining and informative in pursuing digital curation for use within my journalistic ventures.

Microblogging and Journalism.

It’s undeniable that social media has evolved to such an extent over the past few years alone that journalism has had to adapt its approach to present news in a relevant and easily accessible way. So how can journalists grab the interest of their readers in a succinct and impressionable manner? Enter microblogging. Or, in more familiar terms, Twitter.

Created in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone and Noah Glass, the platform which now boasts over 500 million accounts allows it users to ‘tweet’ a 140 character status to their followers. These tweets can range from literally anything; be it your opinion on that days news, a new dress you bought or the restaurant you visited for the first time and loved last night. 

Not only can Twitter be used for personal means of communication between users, it opens doors for consumer to business interaction. So, for example, that restaurant you loved? Mention them in a tweet to let them know how well you think they’re doing. The disappointment of a poorly constructed garment at a well known store? Tweet it. By doing so, the general public are influencing the business world like never before with reviews, opinions and recommendations that are honest and, most importantly, short and straight to the point. 

So, how can microblogging through the likes of Twitter be incorporated into journalism? A short description grabs the attention of followers on the rapidly updated timeline feed to link to blog posts, articles and news pages that make news easily accessible. By using a question, it invites followers to interact with content, topics and issues raised by the writer or organisation, in turn spreading the word and raising further interest for potential readers. The inclusion of a simple hashtag allows users to follow shared content and participate with online ‘conversations’, making it a simple yet powerful communicative tool. Having an online profile on the likes of Twitter is, according to journalism.co.uk writer Rachel Bartlett, "vital" and, "given the rise, and continuing growth, of social media as a traffic referral for many news sites today, being able to share content effectively is also a valuable skill to be able to demonstrate."

In my opinion, journalism has benefitted hugely from the likes of microblogging and I’ve found it incredibly useful in promoting my own blog content. Not only that, but gaining followers whose interests are similar to mine regarding journalism means shared posts and retweets keep us all up to date with whats going occurring on a regular basis. From a journalistic perspective this means professionals are enabled to cultivate news and interact with the public, all within one singular platform.