Tag Archives: tips

YouTube advice from Anna Gardner, Lily Pebbles and Hannah Witton (and tips playlist)

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youtubers Hannah Witton, Lilly Pebbles, Anna Gardner

YouTubers: L-R: Anna Gardner, Lily Pebbles and Hannah Witton

The highlight of this week’s Rethink Media conference in Birmingham was undoubtedly the panel on YouTube, chaired by Hannah Witton with Anna Gardner and Lily Pebbles.

It was very much in the YouTube genre: a breezy and chatty affair which managed to sneak in mentions of MCNs and CPMs alongside references to the importance of being unique and personal.

Keep doing it – for years

Dedication and persistence was very much a recurring piece of advice from all three panelists. “There is no magic formula, just be consistent,” said Lily Pebbles. “Don’t take your foot off the pedal.” Continue reading →

How do you find useful Twitter accounts? 5 tips for journalists

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twitter network bluenose

A Twitter network identified by Bluenose

A version of this post originally appeared on Help Me Investigate Welfare.

Every so often on Help Me Investigate we compile a list* of people on Twitter to follow on particular issues. Here’s how we do it:

1. Search Twitter biographies only

The quickest way to kick off your Twitter list is to search Twitter biographies for users who mention the areas you’re interested in.

Twitter tool FollowerWonk has a facility for searching biographies on the site – make sure you select “search Twitter bios only” from the drop-down menu. Continue reading →

5 tips on data journalism projects from ProPublica

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A few months ago I heard ProPublica’s Olga Pierce and Jeff Larson speak at the Digital Editors Network Data Meet, giving their advice on data journalism projects. I thought I might publish notes of five tips they had here for the record:

1. Three-quarters of the top 10 stories on the site were news apps

Online applications prove very popular with users – but they are more often a landing page for further exploration via stories.

2. When you publish your story, ask for data

Publication is not the end of the process. If you invite users to submit their own information, it can lead to follow-ups and useful contacts.

3. Have both quantitative and qualitative fields in your forms

In other words, ask for basic details such as location, age, etc. but also ask for ‘their story’ if they have one.

4. Aim for a maximum of 12 questions

That seems to be the limit that people will realistically respond to. Use radio buttons and dropdown menus to make it easier for people to complete. At the end, ask whether it is okay for the organisation to contact them to ensure you’re meeting data protection regulations.

5. Share data left over from your investigation

Just because you didn’t use it doesn’t mean someone else can’t find something interesting in it.