Page 35 - AIB | The Chanel | Issue 2 2011

THE CHANNEL | ISSUE 2 2011 | 35
information sources based on the
degree to which others re‑tweeted
their content. In addition, nodes are
close together if their content was
re‑tweeted by similar combinations
of users. Identifying clusters of
users sharing content may be more
instructive for content producers to
analyze than simply measuring in
bulk the amount of information
consumed ‑ most of which is not
widely shared.
7. View multilingual individuals as
key connectors between languages
and geographies
Access to content in multiple
languages is now as simple as a few
clicks. Multilingual individuals act
as bridges between different single‑
language communities that
previously did not readily
commingle. These individuals are a
mixed blessing ‑ problematic for
broadcasters wishing to segment
messages to different communities,
and valuable for those seeking
broader content reach.
8. Propel journalists beyond report‑
ing toward information brokering
Journalists, primarily responsible
for producing content and
information, can be much more
active digitally ‑ as instigators,
moderators and drivers of the
online discussion through blogs,
videos, tweets and other means.
Broadcasters and other content
producers can capitalize on the
online presence and popularity of
these individuals to generate more
interest in the brand and attract
more users. Research on
information sharing during the
Arab Spring revealed that
journalists such as Dima Khatib of
Al Jazeera, CNN's Ben Wedeman
and Andy Carvin of U.S. National
Public Radio achieved this status.
9. Tap into the extensive networks
of celebrities
Celebrity sells. This is not news to
broadcasters, but some are not
migrating this practice online. The
millions of Twitter followers
amassed by some celebs attest to
their online clout, exemplified in
our Arab Spring research by the
presence of actor Alyssa Milano as
a fairly prominent player in the
Twitter galaxy. Apparently her
combination of celebrity and
protest‑related missives were a
potent information mix.
10. Strive to retain users' trust as
they increasingly turn to their own
networks for advice and guidance
Social media is causing a
fundamental shift in people's
attitudes toward news and news‑
producing organizations.
Individuals use social networks not
onlyas filters to cope with
information overload, but also as
evaluators of the quality and
trustworthiness of information.
Once again, international
broadcasters need to be aware of
the influentials who are arbiters of
quality and trust, and to respond
swiftly when the quality or
trustworthiness of your content is
questioned. ■
ww
w.intermedia.org
ww
w.audiencescapes.org
▼
Far left Iran:
Post-election
Twitter activity
Above The Middle
East discussion
online
▼ From top
Susan Gigli;
Dr Ali Fisher
shifted from broadcasters deciding
when, where and how to transmit
content, to users deciding when,
where and how to consume, share
and create content. "Audience"
profiles must include the position
within a virtual communication
network, not simply geographic
coordinates.
5. Identify prominent producers,
brokers and consumers of information
Participants fill various roles in the
digital terrain. Some simply
consume information, others
produce it, and still others are key
intermediaries ‑ brokers, or nodes.
They search for, splice, aggregate
and comment on numerous streams
of digital content to produce
filtered feeds of information
consumed by others.
Broadcasters can tap into
brokers/nodes as a way to expand
reach. However, broadcasters need
to beware of the distortive effect
that regurgitated and independently
redacted content may have on
perceptions of quality, accuracy and
brand integrity.
6. Give "reciprocity" equal weight
to reach
Critical to understanding
effectiveness in the online sphere is
analysing the reciprocal flows of
information ‑ whether it sparks
online sharing and dialogue as
opposed to simply being
consumed. For example, the image
visualizing Twitter activity during
the wave of Middle East protests
shows the relative importance of