The number of tweets posted by journalists from UK media outlets fell by almost 25%, according to the latest NewsTweet Index from PR firm Portland, with big falls at Sky News, which could be linked to its controversial social media guidelines introduced earlier this year.

Overall apparent changes in the tweeting habits of some of the UK’s top journalists saw 80,000 fewer tweets sent in the last three months compared to the previous quarter despite the ongoing economic turmoil, elections, big tax (and pastie) stories, the government’s problems and the on going Leveson inquiry, which all featured heavily. Read More »

The growth of social media usage is by now well known and well documented. But publishers and broadcasters are also increasingly interested in building a social media presence.

For media brands who are used to talking to large audiences, a platform like
Twitter seems to provide new opportunities to create deeper levels of engagement and loyalty, as well as to reach wider audiences through word of mouth and ‘earned’ media. Read More »

The short-list for this year’s Social Brands 100 has been announced and includes a roll call of top global brands including Starbucks, BBC, Ford, Red Bull, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, PayPal, Dell, and Xbox.

It isn’t all about big brands and how they are doing in social media. As with last year’s Social Brands 100 there is a good representation from smaller brands with the likes of Muddy Boots Foods, ARKive, Help for Heroes, Frugi, and Fifteen Cornwall all shortlisted. The full shortlist is below. Read More »

Today is the day many of us say goodbye to Ceefax after the analogue TV signal was switched off across London. The BBC’s teletext information service started transmitting back in 1974 and is still providing information on a wide range of topics covering news, sport, weather, TV listings and businesses.

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Just before lunch yesterday Boris Johnson tried to claim a Twitter account he had originally set up, for his election campaign. Only to have to have to back track within a couple of hours.

BBC director general Mark Thompson has confirmed that the Corporation plans to launch a paid for iTunes-style download service, which will allow viewers to buy programmes just after they have aired.

He told the Guardian that the idea, dubbed Project Barcelona, will allow viewers to “purchase a digital copy of a programme to own and keep [for] a relatively modest charge”. Read More »

What’s the Holy Grail of Twitter? According to most it is followers and once you have them what you need is retweets.

This study from Track Social names what it says are the Top Ten most retweeted brands in the US. It is an odd mix of religion, sport and news, but the BBC is in there too. Read More »

PR firm Portland has released its second NewsTweet Index, which has propelled PoliticsHome.com editor, Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh), to the number one spot in the top 50. Waugh is also the only journalist in the list not from a major media group.

Overall, The Guardian continues to have the highest number of journalists listed in the top 50, with ten represented, but this is considerably less than last time as the list appears to have been broadened out. Read More »

I was recently asked about the effects of social media and public outrage. Specifically, the question was around Jeremy Clarkson and his ‘oh so controversial’ comments on the BEEB last week. You know, the comments that were definitely nothing to do with shifting copies of a Christmas DVD.

Anyway, let’s paint the picture of how the average outrage works in social media. Read More »

Back in the summer there was a lot of interest in the move of reporter Laura Kuenssberg as she changed jobs from chief political correspondent for the BBC to the business editor of ITV. In the process the BBC lost 60000 Twitter followers to ITV. A win for the commercial broadcaster.

It sparked a big debate about who owns Twitter followers? Is it the journalist or the employer on whose time these accounts are built up. In the case of Kuenssberg it seemed the journalist, but a judge in the US has refused to dismiss a case where mobile phone news site PhoneDog is arguing that a former reporter had no right to leave with 17,000 followers that it valued at $2.50 a follower. Read More »