Comments on: Newspapers & social media: CO Daily’s stupid Facebook trick http://www.contentious.com/2009/05/13/newspapers-social-media-co-dailys-stupid-facebook-trick/ Amy Gahran's news and musings on how we communicate in the online age. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:36:42 +0000 hourly 1 By: BWats http://www.contentious.com/2009/05/13/newspapers-social-media-co-dailys-stupid-facebook-trick/comment-page-1/#comment-1227870 BWats Tue, 26 May 2009 21:04:33 +0000 http://www.contentious.com/?p=2663#comment-1227870 To the so-called editor of the Colorado Daily: you should be glad someone is reading your "stuff" and bothering to give you feedback instead of responding with a junior high-esque attacking comment of "Wow. Overreact much?" Instead of defending the piece in the paper (and yes, it IS stupid), why not take useful feedback from serious reader? I don't know what Colorado Daily's mission is, but if you're going for "entertainment" and not news: why not just apply for a job at People, or some of the more lucrative gossip rags? Even with those, you'd have to amp-up your writing style from your colloquial adolescent tone. And the child's funeral comment: maybe that's part of another thread I don't know about, but what a tacky thing to write! Are you 12 years old? To the so-called editor of the Colorado Daily: you should be glad someone is reading your “stuff” and bothering to give you feedback instead of responding with a junior high-esque attacking comment of “Wow. Overreact much?”

Instead of defending the piece in the paper (and yes, it IS stupid), why not take useful feedback from serious reader? I don’t know what Colorado Daily’s mission is, but if you’re going for “entertainment” and not news: why not just apply for a job at People, or some of the more lucrative gossip rags? Even with those, you’d have to amp-up your writing style from your colloquial adolescent tone.

And the child’s funeral comment: maybe that’s part of another thread I don’t know about, but what a tacky thing to write! Are you 12 years old?

]]> By: James http://www.contentious.com/2009/05/13/newspapers-social-media-co-dailys-stupid-facebook-trick/comment-page-1/#comment-1227622 James Fri, 15 May 2009 05:06:25 +0000 http://www.contentious.com/?p=2663#comment-1227622 Perhaps this newspaper has realized that social media will kill it's very existence and is trying to less social media itself by showing meaningless updates from random members on Facebook. They don't get it...we don't care what they say the news is. Perhaps this newspaper has realized that social media will kill it’s very existence and is trying to less social media itself by showing meaningless updates from random members on Facebook.

They don’t get it…we don’t care what they say the news is.

]]> By: Matt Sebastian http://www.contentious.com/2009/05/13/newspapers-social-media-co-dailys-stupid-facebook-trick/comment-page-1/#comment-1227609 Matt Sebastian Thu, 14 May 2009 05:16:16 +0000 http://www.contentious.com/?p=2663#comment-1227609 Wow. Overreact much? Seriously, though... the Colorado Daily is a newspaper largely read by a college audience, an audience that also is largely on Facebook. That's why we use Facebook extensively to interact with those readers by posting links to our articles, soliciting help with stories we're working on and collecting news tips and feedback via wall posts, direct messages and chat. As part of that, we use "Facebook Friends" as a way to get some of our readers into our print edition, and provide a snapshot of what's going on in their thoughts/lives -- whatever that may be -- as we see it filter past in Facebook's news stream. Some of it's serious, some of it's not -- that's what Facebook (and Twitter, for that matter) is. Most of all, though, we want it to be entertaining for our readers. (It's also, incidentally, quite a popular feature; we regularly have people request that their status updates be used, and others who thank us on Facebook, Twitter, etc., after we publish their names and updates.) It's a fun, light feature, nothing more. It's pretty disingenuous to dismiss the entire concept in such overwrought and hyperbolic fashion after having seen it a grand total of one time in the paper. This is the stupidest thing you've ever seen a news organization do with social media? Really? I mean, it's not like we Twittered a child's funeral. Matt Sebastian Editor, Colorado Daily Wow. Overreact much?

Seriously, though… the Colorado Daily is a newspaper largely read by a college audience, an audience that also is largely on Facebook. That’s why we use Facebook extensively to interact with those readers by posting links to our articles, soliciting help with stories we’re working on and collecting news tips and feedback via wall posts, direct messages and chat.

As part of that, we use “Facebook Friends” as a way to get some of our readers into our print edition, and provide a snapshot of what’s going on in their thoughts/lives — whatever that may be — as we see it filter past in Facebook’s news stream. Some of it’s serious, some of it’s not — that’s what Facebook (and Twitter, for that matter) is.

Most of all, though, we want it to be entertaining for our readers.

(It’s also, incidentally, quite a popular feature; we regularly have people request that their status updates be used, and others who thank us on Facebook, Twitter, etc., after we publish their names and updates.)

It’s a fun, light feature, nothing more. It’s pretty disingenuous to dismiss the entire concept in such overwrought and hyperbolic fashion after having seen it a grand total of one time in the paper. This is the stupidest thing you’ve ever seen a news organization do with social media? Really?

I mean, it’s not like we Twittered a child’s funeral.

Matt Sebastian
Editor, Colorado Daily

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