Social media – valuable source for broadcasting

They said at a seminar in Hanoi on July 29 that social medial tools have become very popular recently, especially among young people, and this highly interactive platform needs to be integrated into radio programming to attract more listeners.

Steve Ahern, Managing Director of Australia’s Ahern Media & Training Academy, said social media has become an effective channel to provide information in a rapid and vivid manner.

Facebook and Twister, he said, are mostly used by net citizens who can share news stories and express their own feelings towards the stories.

Media managers and workers agreed that social media is staging a new revolution in the information and communication technology industry that changes the way people communicate and gradually changes the overall picture of media landscape.

However, experts said the application of highly interactive platforms such as social media will make it easier for the audience and radio listeners in particular to keep abreast of the latest development of news events and share their feelings.

Broadcasters were encouraged to use social webpages to add more lively information to their news bulletins.

Steve Ahern provided useful techniques to help local radio journalists to improve their multi-media skills, especially visual ones.

He also advised broadcasters to publish news stories via electronic devices such as smart phones to attract more listeners.

The seminar was held within the framework of the 2013 Radio Asia Conference which began in Hanoi on July 29.