Social media has changed journalism. Just ask a journalist…

April 27, 2011 at 6:34 PM | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A hard working reporter who seems to always be smiling, Monica says Facebook plays a huge role in how she does her job now.

When I interned at our local NBC affiliate, KSBY-TV, last winter, one of my jobs was to write web stories, post them on the channel’s Facebook page, and Tweet them. The other reporters were glad I did that; it meant less work for them as they tried to get their scripts and video editing done.

I guess it is only natural, then, that when I was assigned to interview a local journalist in our area about how social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and Digg have changed how journalists work, I would end up picking someone I knew from the station.

Monica Quintero comes from Houston, and spent several years as an anchor in Oklahoma City. She has been a reporter for KSBY twice; when she came back a few years ago locals remembered her from 2002.

Monica is probably one of the friendliest people I have ever met. I have never seen her without a smile on her face. She was happy to talk to me about the role social media plays in her workday:

While I had my camera and tripod with me, I asked her if she was willing to show me what she does in her spare time.

After that, I had a bus to catch, so I said my “good-byes” and “thank yous” to her for being so helpful. It’s looking more and more like I had better get used to my Facebook and Twitter pages, based on what she told me.

Speaking of which, here is her Facebook profile.