Hey Newspapers, It Pays To Have Your Reporters On Twitter

How journalists approach Twitter, and whether they should (or even want to) is still a matter that’s up for debate in some circles (ahem, Washington Post!). But what’s becoming increasingly clear, and what media types long addicted to the medium already know, is that when used correctly twittering can often add to the power (i.e. readership) of a journalist. Case in point: how many of you were familiar with Mark Knoller nine months ago.

A study in Britain has put Twitter’s power to the test, and the results appear to have borne out the theory. From the UK site The Media Blog:

The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Daily Mail’s websites topped 30 million unique users for the first time in September, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations Electronic (ABCe) figures. In the meantime online communications consultant Stephen Davies (@stedevies) updated a list of UK journalists with Twitter accounts…The top two slots by number of journalists in Davies’ list are, again, occupied by the Telegraph (32) and the Guardian (31), followed by MSN UK (27). The Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday combined produced only four tweeting journalists.

Interestingly, the Daily Mail’s online traffic is primarily attributed to readers participating in polls and/or “their often highly controversial articles.” Which is perhaps something Rupert should consider implementing more on this side of the Atlantic.

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