How Journalists Can Reduce Social Media Stress

Social media seems like an endless well of stress. With Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, journalists have lost a reliable place to connect and verify information. Alongside this, social media is objectively stressful—people come out of the woodwork to give you a dissertation on why you’re a bad person. 

How can journalists use this valuable tool without it taking too much of a toll?

Here are some valuable tips.

KEEP YOUR TWITTER ACCOUNT—BUT BUILD A FENCE

Twitter is one of the only ways for journalists to be readily visible to readers. But with Musk’s new policies giving an edge to misinformation and far-right lies, it’s become necessary to set more boundaries than usual. Some options are available to keep trolls away: for one, setting replies to “only people who you follow” can severely limit trolling and unwanted conversations. Keep yourself identifiable—meaning your handle and your profile should be yours and recognizable as you—but otherwise do not engage with your account for non-journalistic purposes.

USE NETWORKING TOOLS TO COLLABORATE

Journalists are expected to be accessible in the 21st century. That has several drawbacks and benefits in and of itself, but provides an easy and neutral tool for journalists to connect with each other. Twitter is also useful for finding new job openings or gig opportunities: “I use Twitter to hear about new jobs,” said Erica Snow, social media editor at MarketWatch. “It’s a really great way to get in touch with hiring managers and other people who may be able to connect you to your next professional opportunity.”

SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BE A MINI-OUTLET FOR REPORTING

Live-tweeting small moments can help you build a visible portfolio online. While it’s important to share your published works and writer profiles on your social media account, peppering short form journalistic content in with your other posts will really tie your profile together. Additionally, adding a small detail about your content in your normal posting will both humanize you and give readers more to engage with on that particular topic. For example, commenting on the energy at a concert or a protest is information your readers will eat up.

BE CAREFUL WHEN COMMENTING

On social media, it’s just you—you don’t have an editor checking your work or a fact-checker in-house. You are responsible for 100 percent of the content that you put online. And as stated before, other participants on Twitter are not always beholden (nor do they care about) the rules of journalistic integrity—so it’s best that you do not engage with those people whatsoever. All content should be thoughtful and reserved, which means that it’s made for the purpose of connecting with other journalists over the work itself, not for connecting with trolls, and the temptation to tell off internet trolls can be overwhelming. 

Overall, any and all tips aimed at reducing stress while navigating social media can be applied to one’s personal as well as professional life. Creating solid boundaries around your own profile and what content you are willing to share and engage in is great professional practice, but can also reduce some of the latent stress that comes with social media and its at times hostile landscape.