Tools, as you know, can give journalists the edge, it is one of the most vital elements of journalism, either print or digital, and utilizing these tools properly can bring about well researched and persistent writing. Tools can influence the competency in news reporting and storytelling.
Why Are Tools Vital to Journalists?
Journalism with time is changing consistently, from reporting, sourcing for new leads, even distributing these stories. Tools have been known to be used to execute a task more efficiently. So, in journalism, making use of these tools will powerfully enable you to carry out competent news reporting, giving you supremacy in uncovering the most fascinating and insightful news.
Digital Journalism tool – Dating websites as a source tool for gathering information
Dating website has evolved from just being a platform where you can find new dates to an underlying digital life tool for journalism.
Although in the past journalism with the aid of dating sites has faced scrutiny, it is vital for any journalist looking at dating website as one of their source tools to use it with all cautiousness.
My www.flirt.com profile says a lot about me and what I do, “I am a journalist and would love to engage in a question and answer chat with you”. These core principles are to be followed, especially when making use of dating website as a tool for journalism, be honest about being a journalist, and also evaluate whatever information your potential source has provided you as a journalist is not invulnerable to phishing scams, you have to be observant and well-rounded with the dating platform.
Advantages
– The fact of the matter is if they like to talk to you is their choice, they are not obligated to talk to you, bottom line it is important, to be honest with your potential source, you don’t want them to feel uncomfortable during your interview or discussion with them.
– Although dating websites are not like Twitter or Facebook where latest happenings are updated on the go, you can expect a more significant conversation before or after happenings like the shooting in London. The platform for a fact can be very useful.
Drawbacks
It is important for you as a journalist to understand the peculiarity of people you meet on a dating website, people you interview and the people you flirt with. When you are signed into your online dating profile, you should know the face you are putting on.
As a matter of fact, dating website does not make that part easy. You cannot distinguish the kind of people you would want to meet, this means that as a journalist you have to be on the ball.
It’s true a lot of users on a dating website will get spooked at the mention of, “I am a journalist, can I get to know your name?”, but as a professional journalist who knows what he/she is doing should be upfront at all times, a potential source would love you to be honest with him/her, most times they tell you they’d appreciate if they are not quoted or mentioned in your report.
Conclusion
Regardless of the strife and pitfalls of dating websites, you would agree with me that it’s really worth the time of any journalist
Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are commodious because you know the people you are in search of, but you face a problem of not being able to start a conversation with just any random person because of its privacy settings, meanwhile on dating website it’s quite the opposite you get matched with the kind of people you want to talk to, making your interviews insightful for you.
Dating website can be advantageous to a journalist, in as much as they maintain their conventional principles and standards and also be cautious about privacy terms.
