Comments on: Reflecting on social reporting or enabling social reporters

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:23:53 +0000

To take David Wilcox’s comment first – I’m definitely interested in how the use of social media / social reporting at an event makes it more dynamic and conversation – and how to bring the crossing over and weaving of conversations that the web enables into physical space – without disrupting the conversation that good physical ‘real’ space encourages by interjecting lots of screens and phones and digital gadgets.

I was struck with the digital reporting Steve Lawson and others were running at Greenbelt Festival (e.g.)this summer that that event at least is somewhere I see as a place to be away and freed from gadgets and technologies to think – and the digital reporting risks disrupting that… although in the case of Greenbelt (and I think in the sort of example Mike is describing) the reporting is more for those not at the event than for those at the event.

That is – social reporting is there as a bridge – not necessarily to make the event itself more conversational (social reporting may help that – but that perhaps needs facilitation more than social reporting) – but to build a brige between those at the event and those not present but with a stake in the topics being discussed.

As a quick reply to David Whewell – I certainly didn’t mean to suggest that because it was senior managers that the social reporting was trickier. Most groups are unfamiliar with the idea. I was reflecting more than I would instinctively think with a young people’s event of getting young delegates involved in the reporting – but the thought of getting delegates involved in reporting at the APYCO event didn’t occur to me till afterwards. A personal learning reflection for me on the need to treat adults and young people equally…

By: Mike Amos-Simpson

Mike Amos-Simpson — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:54:14 +0000

I think its been really interesting seeing more & more of this approach over the past year – I think theres a next stage though which is to start working towards more interactions from those that are viewing the ‘social reporting’ in real time.

For an event like this I think it would be most relevant for those ‘reporters’ to be the people who would most like to ask questions of that audience – in this case for example a team of reporters made up of say a full time youth worker, a part time youth worker and a youth club member would have been interesting in terms of what questions they ask etc. Obviously easier said than done but maybe in the future there could be a role for recruiting relevant volunteers in advance of the event to act in that social reporter role and supported by expert guidance

By: David Whewell

David Whewell — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:08:26 +0000

Interestingly, I don’t think it is because you were reporting on senior managers – more likely that you were “social” reporting on, possibly for the first time ever, an event that had a range of people who didn’t understand the importance and power of digital media. Being one of those senior managers” who were present, and also being the one who had made the commitment for a “social” reporter to be present, I felt I let the process down by concentrating on the (and I hope I make this understandable) “real” now – the interaction of the participants in the “here and now” – who were providing “realtime” feedback! I need to move my thinking to understand that “realtime” doesn’t have to mean what I may be able to physically touch. Having you there, Tim, as a social reporter, has helped me in that. I don’t think we’ll ever have another conference (gathering) where “social” reporting doesn’t take place!

By: David Wilcox

David Wilcox — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:33:35 +0000

I’m with you, aspirationally at least, in helping others report at events – though of course it does depend a lot on the skills and inclination of those involved. Young people go for it, senior managers probably don’t … though it would make a lot of difference to the feel of events if they did!
What interests me (like you I think) is how far it is possible to introduce social media into an event in way that makes the whole thing more creative and conversational.
Sorry I couldn’t get to the Barcamp. May be time for a get-together of social reporters, or whatever we choose to call ourselves.