by Trevor Jonas, SocialMediaToday
The impact of social media on the media and publishing industries has been well documented. Newspapers and magazines are increasing their focus online, which means an investment in social media channels as well as the company website.
I recently asked USA Today’s new social media editor, Michelle Kessler, a few questions about the evolving state of the newsroom and how social media is impacting news gathering and reporting.
Jonas: You recently became social media editor at USA Today. How is the role currently defined and what, specifically, are you responsible for?
Kessler: My job is to help reporters and editors use social media to connect with readers and sources. That includes everything from training to maintaining feeds to helping sign partnerships.
Jonas: Can you tell us a bit about how the role came to be and what interested you in it?
Kessler: We recently had a big reorganization, and this new job was part of it. We’ve had a social media manager on the business side for quite a while. But Chet Czarniak, our executive editor, wanted a social rep specifically for editorial. It’s part of a growing emphasis on digital in the newsroom.
Before the reorg, I was USA TODAY’s online technology editor, running usatoday.com/tech. I loved that job, but social media editor sounded like a exciting way to explore the intersection of technology and news. Social media is cutting edge, and I wanted to be a part of it. And come on – I get paid to hang out on Facebook all day. How cool is that?