It’s difficult to remember every possible tool you can use when news breaks, which is why we have a breaking new checklist to follow at DesMoinesRegister.com.
We don’t do everything on the list in every situation, but it’s a good reminder of the many tools that are available, both to promote the news and to enhance the reader experience around the news.
Here’s a list to help you start your own breaking news checklist Download as PDF.:
Promote the news
- Post to Twitter (and have staffers post to their Twitter accounts)
- Post to Facebook
- Send breaking news text alert
- Send breaking news e-mail alert
- Send a message to MySpace friends
- Create a widget so others can add news to their site
- Buy keywords on Google/Yahoo/Facebook
- Send to Drudge, Reddit, Digg, Fark
- Send info to bloggers/sites who cover that topic
- Post info in forums related to that topic
- Put together a print promotion plan
Tools to use on your site
- Use an alternative home page design
- Create a poll
- Start a breaking news blog
- Should any of your staff bloggers promote on their blog?
- Are there community members who can blog about this topic?
- Link to blogs outside your site
- Start a discussion forum
- Ask readers to submit photos
- Create a live chat
- Create a hastag for Twitter/Flickr/etc.
- Ask readers for YouTube videos
- Ask readers what questions they have/what info they know
- Add a Google locator map
- Create a Google map that allows readers to add content
- Create a searchable database
- Q&A with reporter or editor or source
- Ask Twitter followers for feedback or help
- Add links to more coverage elsewhere on the web
- Create a site that captures social media conversation on the topic
- Aggregate content from other sites onto our site
- Create an RSS feed for continuing content
- Allow readers to subscribe to that RSS via e-mail
- Post large photos online (in a blog or story)
- Offer print pages for sale
- Highlight the best comments from readers
Don’t forget
- Take screengrabs
- Alert advertising department so they can sell ads around the news/content
Download this list as a PDF document.
What other tools should be on this list? Please share them in the comments area.
Photo credit: hyperscholar on Flickr
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