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Social media editors in newsrooms

Tran Thi Yen Minh (PhD) Le Van Truc Ly (MA)
More than a decade ago, social media was still a relatively new concept to newsrooms. If in the early years of 2006 - 2008, journalists - who were just beginning to familiarize themselves with the concept of digital journalism - were extremely confused when they had to adapt to the advent of Twitter and Facebook, until now the platforms It has become an integral part of newsrooms around the world.
No longer a trend, digital transformation has become a matter of survival for press units. In order to keep up with the development of media practice, commenting on the Draft Press Law (amended), some experts believe that it is necessary to study and supplement more types of journalism on the Internet [1]. This proves that social media has become an integral part of today's journalistic life.

In addition to the staff serving the traditional newsroom, a new staff has been formed to serve this non-traditional media platform. Social media editor is a title in that new group of press personnel. In Vietnam, this title has appeared in some newsrooms but it is still quite fragmented and has not really been recognized systematically.
Gatekeeper

In traditional newsrooms, editors (BTV) have a very important task. They not only correct errors in form and content, but also filter and verify all information before the work is published. Or rather, they are the ones who protect the newsroom's reputation with their professional skills. The editor is therefore also known as the "gatekeeper".

“Gatekeeper” is not inherently a concept in the theory of journalism. In 1943, social psychologist Kurt Lewin first mentioned this concept with the opinion that housewives in the family act as a "gatekeeper" - deciding the type and amount of food used. use in the family. By 1950, David Manning White was one of the first to bring this concept into the field of communication.

In the study The "Gate keeper - A case study in the selection of news", the author considered the factors that an editor needs to consider when deciding what news to appear in the press, and considers them as the "gatekeepers" of the mass media. Since then, the term "gatekeeper" is often used to refer to those who do editorial duties.

Entering the digital age, the Internet has changed the way people access the world of information, and social media has changed the way newspapers reach their public. The traditional role of "gatekeeper" has also changed to match new media trends. Along with the model of a converged newsroom, where all communication platforms are integrated, social media has created many opportunities for newsrooms to reach the public. However, it also poses many challenges for journalists and raises questions about whether the "gatekeeper" role of editors can still be promoted on this digital platform?

If in a traditional role, editors need to know how to filter and verify information, "gatekeepers" in the digital era need to know how to capture psychology and information that social network users are interested in, from It uses language and images effectively to reach the public effectively. The position of Social Media Editor requires the holder to hone new professional skills.

To better understand the basic characteristics of the title of Social Media Editor in a newspaper, we try to rely on the familiar 5W1H model: who they are, when and where they appear, and what they do. What, why social media editors are needed and how they work.
Social media editor – information balancer

WHO – Who are they?

Before mentioning the social media editor, we need to mention the social media team. According to Elizabeth (2017), this is a collection of titles in charge of jobs related to social media platforms in a newsroom [2].

They include people in charge of social engagement or public development. In some newsrooms, this team includes an engagement editor, a social media editor, and an analytics editor [3].

The team is tasked with both informing the newsroom about the public's interaction with the news, and providing user data for the editorial board to decide to build content that is likely to attract the public. The role and content of each title may vary depending on the size, nature and characteristics of the newsroom in different countries. However, researchers quite agree that in the social media team of a newspaper unit, the social media editor is more in charge of content. The goal of the Social Media Editor is to empower online readers to interact with information. They strive to create engagement by soliciting comments and spreading the word. Some editors describe themselves as the combination of “a listener, a teacher, a supporter, helping to bring eyeballs and traffic to news sites” [4].

In the most general way, it is possible to define a social media editor in the group of audience-oriented editors (audience-oriented editors), that is, an editor who mediates between audience data and the editorial office, who is responsible for balance between what the public needs to know and what the public wants to know [3]. WHEN – When do they appear? According to DeVito (2014), the position of social media editor first appeared in a number of organizations such as BBC, The New York Times and USA Today in 2008, 2009. At that time, they were mainly on duty. Connect with online readers through two-way interactions. Their goal is to make media content relevant to audiences and strengthen the power of journalism.

The emergence of social media editors shows that press units increasingly depend on social networks to maintain the following of a part of the public. Newman's research suggests that social media activity in general and the position of social media editor in some newsrooms in particular began informally with journalists surfing Twitter and Facebook while doing their jobs. unrelated editorial work [5].

Currently, the work of a social media editor is quite common in large media organizations. However, this position is still relatively new at local newsrooms. In a survey by Columbia University (2011), there were 89 social media editors in North America as of July 2011. Another study conducted by Papper (2013) found that, in more than 1,300 television stations in the United States United States, only a few stations have the title of social media editor. However, the study also shows a slight growth in this position in recent years.
WHERE – Where do they work?

Social media editors work in newsrooms and are part of the social media or electronic journalism team. They interact with other job positions in the unit. However, as described in the job announcement by The Wall Street Journal, sometimes work can be done remotely, because all activities can be done online.

WHAT – What is their job?

Basically, a social media editor performs the same task as a website editor or online newspaper. However, the key point in their activities is to focus on building interactions between readers with the organization's Facebook, Twitter, Youtube or Tiktok social networking sites, through reach, comment (comment). ), favorite (like) or share (share/retweet)…
In-depth interview with 13 Social Media Editors in Canada, Currie (2012) lists outstanding duties of this position including: coaching and supporting colleagues; posting news to Facebook or Twitter; respond to or interact with readers; building long-term strategy; attend news conferences; conduct online chats; online comment management; social media monitoring; work with blogger network.
Some job descriptions, for example The Wall Street Journal or BBC, show that the social media editor's job includes creating, editing, and managing digital content on social networking sites. Specifically, The Wall Street Journal's description emphasizes the need for a passion for storytelling and the ability to effectively deliver breaking news and exclusives across social media channels. At the same time, the social media editor needs to try to amplify and hype the news in unique and engaging ways.

Thus, it can be briefly summarized that the main task of the social media editor is to build content and manage the newspaper's social networks. This position performs a number of tasks such as hosting live chats, livestreams, sharing breaking news and highlights, maintaining interaction with readers through comments and messages, and coordinating with other departments. in the newsroom to bring valuable and interesting news.
WHY – the newsroom needs this title?

It can be affirmed that the birth of social media editors is an inevitable trend. According to the latest survey by We are Social, as of January 2022, the world has 4.62 billion social network accounts, equivalent to 58.4% of the population. On average, a person spends 2 hours 27 minutes on social media a day. Users use social networks for many purposes, but the most popular is because (1) connecting with relatives and friends; (2) fill the free time and (3) read the news.

These numbers in Vietnam are 76.95 million social media accounts, equivalent to 78.1% of the population and 2.28 minutes per day, respectively. Statistical data also show that besides connecting with relatives and friends, Vietnamese public use social networks mainly to read news and catch up on events happening around them.

The above numbers are the clearest evidence for why newsrooms need to build a position of social media editor. Where the public is, the press needs to be there. The public moves from the real environment to the digital environment, so it is necessary to build an information channel on social networks. And to ensure that social media products arrive on time - as the public wants, a person in charge is essential. Those are the social media editors.

Not only satisfying the public, but in any era, the press also needs to assume the role of providing and orienting information quickly and accurately. On digital platforms, users are immersed in a sea of ​​unverified information, many of which are fake news. Therefore, instead of letting readers mess around, social media editors play an important role in helping the public to soberly choose and receive news.

HOW – how is the job of the social media editor done?

As mentioned, the social media editor serves as the bridge between audience data and the newsroom, who is responsible for balancing what the public needs to know and what the public wants to know. This balance has partly disrupted the gatekeeper theory of the editor's duties, which emphasizes the active role of reporters and editors in the process of selecting information, organizing production, and coordinating news.

According to research by Currie (2012) and Devito (2014), instead of uniquely representing the newsroom, the social media editor must also represent the public's preferences. Even in the social network space, the construction and delivery of media content is more about satisfying readers than respecting traditional journalistic values. Respondents to the Currie survey identified they had two “boss” to serve: the editorial board and the readers.

The 11th Congress of the Vietnam Journalists Association has affirmed that digital transformation is an inevitable trend, promoting the development of journalism. One of the most obvious manifestations of digital transformation is that press offices in the world in general and Vietnam in particular have been building and operating social media platforms such as Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, etc. Tiktok… And in order for these platforms to both expand the space for the press office and serve the interests of the country and the people, it is necessary to have a team of professional social media people.

This article stops at introducing the professional title of social media editor. Research on work practices of social media editors in the world, especially in Vietnam, is still quite new. Further studies on the operation as well as the difficulties faced by this position will contribute to perfecting the theoretical system of a new title in the journalistic career system, which can contribute to professionalizing the operation. journalism in the digital age.
References
[1] Bar Association, “Suggestions on the Press Law Project: There are still issues to be clarified”, 2022. [Online]. Available at: http://hoiluatgiavn.org.vn:8080/gop-y-du-an-luat-baochi-van-con-nhung-van-de-can-lam-ro-d805.html. [Accessed: April 30-April 2022.
[2] J. Elizabeth, “Social media teams today: A summary of what we learned”, American Press Institute, 2017. [Online]. Available at: https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/publications/reports/strategy-studies/social-media-teams-today/. [Accessed: April 30-April 2022.
[3] R. Ferrer-Conill và E. C. T. Jr., “The Audience-Oriented Editor”, Digit. Journal., vol 6, số p.h 4, tr 436–453, 2018.
[4] S. Gleason, “Harnessing social media”, Am. Journal. Rev., 2010.
[5]N. Newman, “The rise of social media and its impact on mainstream journalism: A study of how newspapers and broadcasters in the U.K. and U.S. are responding to a wave of participatory social media and a historic shift in control towards individual consumers”, 2009. [Online]. Available at: http://reutersinstitute. politics.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/documents/Publications/ The_rise_ of_social_media_and_its_impact_on_mainstream_journalism. pdf. [Truy cập: 20-tháng 4-2022].
 
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