European Parliament thinks Social Media on behalf of the Think Tanks
Written by Karen Melchior on . Posted in Blog.
What was #LondonThink?
- (I had made this storify but not published it, think I made it in the period 16/17 June)
- At conference on intersection of social and traditional media hosted by EP info office in UK #LondonThink
- Lots of talk about Twitter coming from #LondonThink – what about use of wikis, blogs, surveys, webinars, video conferencing etc in process?
- +1 MT @tombeardshaw Lots of talk about Twitter #LondonThink – what about wikis, blogs, surveys, webinars, video conferencing etc in process?
- Great EU law exam this morning and now at #LondonThink researching my dissertation – MEPs on Twitter
- Was this a balanced audience or a meeting of elites – hot topic on twitter ;-)
- Challenge to think tanks. How do we break out of our elites? @alexsmith1982 #LondonThink
- 9 million pple in Britain have never been online, says @alexsmith1982 who rails against ‘social media self-perpetuating elites’ #LondonThink
- Think tanks & politics are far too elite. Web has advanced participation but still too many digitally excluded @alexsmith1982 #LondonThink
- Puffles & Bestest Buddy standing out like sore thumbs at #LondonThink :-/
- Agh, we don’t have a very gender balanced panel over here do we :-( #LondonThink
- @jonworth not a very gender balanced audience either #LondonThink
- @jonworth no, noticed that too. Glad I came to #LondonThink, thx for the contact! Without you it would have been all male.
- @MarianCramers Laura Kuennsberg also should have been here, on previous panel. #londonthink
- .@jonworth One female expert in three presentations out of 17 speakers? And one that didn’t come but was listed. #LondonThink
- Soundbites from the day
- We all live in self-referential bubbles – the point is not to break everything up, but at least to profoundly interact #LondonThink
- Organisations no longer control their brands, people do through social media. #LondonThink
- Michael Harris of NEF & @guerillapolicy says just 9 think tanks have more than 10k followers on corporate handles #LondonThink (inc @IPPR)
- Twitter reach of think tanks is small. Only 9 have more than 10,000 followers in total for their staff, associates & fellows #LondonThink
- Speaker after speaker at #LondonThink alluding to the need to fundamentally redefine organisations in a social media world
- As a “normal person” would I engage with think tanks or politicians? (given the fact that I’d spend 10 min a day on politcs) #LondonThink
- Valid point that @puffles2010 more easy to engage with than a real person. Same would apply to @konnolsky #LondonThink
We started off with a session on “Measuring social media influence”
- Moderated by Mark Pack (co-editor LibDem Voice and Head of Digital @ MHP Communications) and on the panel was Marian Cramers (Radian6), Aseem Azhar, (CEO PeerIndex), Chris Jackson (Cicero Group)
- For the record, Radian6 is not sophisticated, it’s extremely user-friendly ;-) #LondonThink
Session II – Mistakes on social media and lessons leaned.
- It turned out to be the whys and hows on doing social media well, and kicked off with a little metadiscussion about the session itself…
- Wasn’t this session supposed to be on mistakes in social media? Seems to have lots its thread somewhat… #londonthink
- and then on to the lessons and thoughts
- Important lesson when dealing with social media and the internet
- Be rude in thought, be rude in drink, never ever be rude in ink (and especially not social media) – The internet is forever #LondonThink
- Can’t we just forget about social media? We were doing alright without them before!
- @AlbertoNardelli Highlighting the difference in shift from a ‘news cycle’ to a ‘news stream’ and the implications for orgs at #LondonThink
- Social media is a reality. You will be talked about irrespective of whether you choose to engage or not @AlbertoNardelli #LondonThink
- @AlbertoNardelli at #LondonThink : you can choose not to engage in social media but it will not stop people talking about you anyway
- Policy influencers talk to themselves, which means they miss out on issues of importance to ordinary people @AlbertoNardelli #LondonThink
- Lots of reminders today that social media can’t be just a bolt on – need to look fundamentally at how it affects your business #londonthink
- Think tanks don’t make effective use of the expertise & opinion outside of their orgs. Social media is a way to remedy this. #LondonThink
- Social media, traditional media – or just media?
- “What happens on twitter does not stay on twitter” – @AlbertoNardelli #LondonThink
- #LondonThink – Different media strands are not separate, they are complexly linked in numerous different ways.
- Do Politicians engage via social media?
- Perhaps social media is there to educate politicians, force them to at last connect with their electorate #LondonThink
- Interesting difference between MPs and civil servants’ willingness to react to social media lobbying raised by @ageUK rep… #LondonThink
- What is a good social media policy? A few examples of such
- “@jonworth Very clear social media policy, in a video: j.mp/MbCxBn Victoria Ministry of Justice Social Media #LondonThink”
- Puffles (*points*) to civil service media release on social media guidance at digital.cabinetoffice.gov.u… by @emercoleman cc @RDarlo #LondonThink
- Dr Harris: If you work with things that affect the general public you have no excuse for not engaging with them. #londonthink
- @guerillapolicy @mcaino sounds like most other sectors: imposing broadcast mentality on networked and interlinked media #LondonThink
- @DanielSteeves @cajackson1984 @Tannerjc Need to use it with care. Amnesty tweeting Maxime Verhagen in NL drove him mad #LondonThink
- @alexsmith1982 on mistakes on social media are retain a narrow focus, talk to same people & miss out on issues of interest #LondonThink
- Puffles says it is ESSENTIAL senior managers support more junior staff in face of firestorms on social media #Londonthink
The Intersection of traditional and social media – session on Traditional media vs. New Media (eventhough the session just before it had concluded that the distinction doesn’t exist – as “what happens on twitter doesn’t stay on twitter”
Chaired by @tayebot, and on the panel were: @jonworth, @andrewsummers
- . @Tayebot is starting session on trad/social media #LondonThink
- Perhaps you are the intersection personified? MT @jonworth: @MsLoloJ I’m the token tech guy here on this panel. #londonthink
- @RDarlo @kosmopolit social comms *could enable end of skewed journalism: msgs pulled across spectrum, not pushed w/ bias #londonthink
- David Seymour rightly says TV follows newspapers & now newspapers follow social media – it’s the future, he says #LondonThink
- Brian O’Connor of RTE says he’s known as the ‘Victor Medrew’ of the newsroom because he likes to get it right & get it first #LondonThink
- Ave story on 6 o’clock news is 1 minute long, so not much longer than a tweet. Brian O’Connor talking about TV & social media #LondonThink
- Brian O’Connor – I am the Victor Meldrew of the Newsroom, always check your facts… before citing something #LondonThink
- David Seymour rightly says social media reach isn’t as much as newspapers & left need coverage in RW papers, & visa versa #LondonThink
- Well-deserved praise from David Seymour for @AndrewSparrow at #londonthink was talked into supporting him for journalist of the year.
- Guardian’s @AndresSparrow talking about his work
- .@AndrewSparrow says his live politics blog attracts 30-50k unique readers on big news day. Great insight to how he works at #LondonThink.
- .@AndrewSparrow talking about how live blogging is infinitely more satisfying than traditional journalism #londonthink
- If you write about specialised stuff, then your audience is narrow. There is less interest in reading about Cory Booker than about Kim Karadashian.
- Quite amazed to hear from @AndrewSparrow that Guardian politics live blogs have 3-5k unique views on a quiet day #LondonThink
- Grdn website gets 4m readers a day but not all reading politics says @AndrewSparrow – on ‘slow day’ 3k readers of his live blog #LondonThink
- Journalists are using as their primary newsfeed and best way to get in touch says @AndrewSparrow #LondonThink > og i dk? #fmdk
- MT @guerillapolicy: @AndrewSparrow twitter is the main news feed for journos & the best way to engage them (better than email) #LondonThink
- Do we need new forms of political parties?
- www.JonWorth.eu recommends looking at the Pirate party in Sweden and Germany for inspiration for new ways political parties can function.
- @jonworth keep watching the pirate party, most exciting innovation in euro politics. What is needed to grow this in the UK? #LondonThink
- Straw man Peter Wilding. #piraten are fascinating due to their internal networking, not their policies as such. #londonthink
- Social Media are important for Think Tanks (and others who produce research and other new content). They can ensure continued interest in their knowledge/content by engaging and pointing to their work via social media. Meet people where they are. It’s not enough just to put it on your website or send out a press release.
- Interesting stuff from Peter Wilding on the importance of the long tail for content and distribution across platforms #LondonThink
- Media are what users think and do:
- Good point by @AndrewSparrow at #LondonThink – how many under 30s buy a newspaper every day?
- so for the under-25s…
- Good point by glasses guy: for under-25s who grew up w/ the Internet, Twitter etc are not “new media”, they’re just… media #LondonThink
- so, is the future bleak?
- We’re killing the mainstream media while we’re failing to develop an adequately high quality, social, open alternative #londonthink
- @Ariane_Poulain is it not more a question of culture rather than time & money. Social media is cheap & easy to use. #LondonThink
- Some #LondonThink speakers been dumbing down thinktanks ability to use social media bit too much.Issue more time&money than lack of training
- @MarcoInBxl very good point. There’s a huge difference between # of followers and what the literature calls twitter “influence” #LondonThink
- RT@alexsmith1982 media, politicos, think tanks must listen to real voices. Digital media not a shortcut. Get out of the bubble. #LondonThink
- Twitter is the best way to get the attention of newsdesk and journalists
- Twitter swiftest way to get newsdesk attention says Guardian journo @AndrewSparrow #LondonThink
- Nearly a week later…
- RT @karmel80: Just had @AndrewSparrow’s point that Twitter is the best way to contact UK journalists proven. #LondonThink
- Lessons learnt and recommendations made during the day
- Here’s a link to the EP infographics Pinterest pin board. Pretty pictures! m.pinterest.com/epinfograph… #londonthink
- Puffles (*points*) to “We the web kids” at m.theatlantic.com/technolog… for #LondonThink – how young people view internet & social media.
- 5 top tips for think tanks using social media wp.me/p26a6Y-mt <– Good digest of Fri’s #londonthink event. Lessons for embassies too!
- My takeaways from #LondonThink Don’t get so involved with the processes that you forget why you came: drain the swamp
- RT @OpenEyeComms: My takeaways from #LondonThink Change the organisation. Don’t just add social as an additional channel: rethink. Social as a game changer.
- Nice quote 1: “What happens on Twitter doesn’t stay on Twitter” #LondonThink
- Nice quote 2: We’re in a “shift from news cycle to news stream” #LondonThink
- Nice quote 4: social media/politics = “self-perpetuating elites talking to each other like-minded, self-referential bubbles” #LondonThink
- Nice quote 3: Government and EU: “smart people in dumb institutions” #LondonThink
- Goodbyes
- @sarakarnas a pity as it was an interesting day. I will try to make a storify of #LondonThink. Plan is also a short report but in Danish.
- #londonthink Great event, thanks @eurocrat for organising. Now with @thinkingeurope on the #eurostar talking about a similar event in bxl.
- #londonthink Thanks @eurocrat for the invitation. Enjoyed and hope there are future events so much to take in
- Great day at #LondonThink discussing how think tanks need to reflect a social media world – thanks to all who listened, commented & followed
- Thought-provoking seminar on #socialmedia today at #Europe House. Thanks to @eurocrat for organising. Am apparently an elite! #londonthink
- Thanks to everyone who came to #LondonThink yesterday! Storify report coming up on Monday and hope to carry on with these events.
- Other people’s summary of the seminar
- Starting the week reflecting on use of social media by think tanks, thx @guerillapolicy for 5 top tips: ces.tc/M3JXeu #Londonthink
- How should think tanks use social media? @tannerjc explores lessons from #Londonthink over at @onthinktanks bit.ly/MAlVqG
- Good to see @eurocrat @openeyecomms@karmel80 @danielsteeves and @jonworth at #londonthink. My write up now online here: bit.ly/MAlVqG
- using social media is like teenagers talking sex?? Good soundbites/thoughts via @tannerjc bit.ly/MF5Oby #LondonThink
- Digital strategies for thinktanks #londonthink onthinktanks.org/2012/06/15… a developing country focus
- RT @alistairtweet: Here’s the link to the pre #LondonThink event blog post from the EU News Blog bit.ly/LeNjwl via @eurocrat
