I agree with Erik in that reporters should be expected to participate in social media practices but I do think an editor responsible for reminding reporters and news staff to utilize social media as well as cohesively organizing different facets from the newsroom is a good thing.

At The Gargoyle, the student newspaper of Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla., we’re seriously considering creating a position like this on our staff.

I’d love to see positions like this become an ordinary staff spot for newspapers nationwide.

-Matthew Boyle
Co-Editor in Chief, The Gargoyle
Flagler College Student Newspaper
St. Augustine, Fla.

http://erikgable.com/2010/03/31/10-things-that-could-go-into-a-community-engagement-editors-job-description/

Yes, social media is another level of keeping people informed, but it shouldn’t be an item on a checklist, and it must be interactive. Having someone dedicated to social media and engagement allows for better coordination, training and implementation. Editors across the board do the same in their given areas, whether that’s a content area or a medium.

Scott, I’m glad to see you making a commitment to social media and am interested to see how having this position works out.

Julia Thompson
DesMoinesRegister.com social-media editor

The way to succeed is to have someone *focused* on this, in addition to having other staffers help out.

Yes, the reporters (and full staff) should be involved in community engagement, but our engagement staff will have specific responsibilities that will go well beyond reporting and that are much more than just using social media in your reporting (which I have advocated and taught extensively).

I know you’ll see the value of what we do in Washington and I’m confident that people in San Diego will appreciate this approach, too.

Here are some things you could just as easily say:

“Why should news organizations hire photographers? Reporters can just snap their own photos.”

“Why should newspapers hire designers? Just teach the reporters to use Quark.”

Now, many reporters CAN shoot photos or lay out a page, and these are great skills to have. But an engagement editor’s job is likely to require a certain personality and a certain skill set that not everyone in the newsroom — even though they might all be excellent reporters — will have.

JW, I think you’re correct in saying that social media should be treated as “just another level of the time-honored newspaper tradition of keeping people informed.” But the same is true of photography, graphic design, copy editing and numerous other specialties. Having people who specialize in particular disciplines can be very valuable.

There is a lot more we can do– trivia, news crosswords, weekend summaries, events and live discussions — as an organization. Our reporters thrive in engagement on their beat. We need a staffer to help it all come together.

Scott Lewis
CEO, voiceofsandiego.org

We’ve started the same effort at the Chicago Tribune, and in two months have already discovered our readers are hungry for a two-way conversation with us. And we are just now learning what the benefits of that discussion can be.

This is encouraging. Can’t wait to see what lessons my West Coast colleagues take away from it.

– James Janega
Trib Nation Manager
Chicago Tribune

For success each individual at the news organization needs to make a mental shift and make social media a forethought. Unfortunately, i fear, newspapers, are a generation away from this, which sadly will be too late.