More than half of radio newsrooms surveyed ...

...rely on social media sites for newstips.  And I bet that number is the same or greater for television and newspaper news bureaus (or what's left of them).

From NewsGeneration.com:

News subscribers are no longer defined as simple recipients of news, getting information by reading newspapers, watching television or listening to reports on radio. Today, consumers of news are also gatherers of news: they participate in creating it, capturing it, and disseminating it.

In fact, in our survey of 50 radio newsrooms in the top 50-markets, News Generation uncovered the impact that social media is having in the newsroom. The survey found that nearly half of the newsrooms (45%) use Twitter and Facebook, to offer their technologically savvy audiences an extension to conventional radio to provide another broadcast platform.

Thirty+ years ago, when I was doing news, I'd rape the local newspaper and local radio competition for leads and unmercifully rewrite their stories, make regular calls to police, fire and other agencies to see what was new on their blotters at the end of each shift and take calls from "news spotters" who'd breathlessly contact us for their chance at winning $13.40 (or $6.30 or $11.20)  for providing the Newstip Of The Month.

Does anyone do any of that anymore?

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