Your news in 140 characters: exploring the role of social media in journalism

"I saw on facebook ..." is a term frequently heard in conversations these days. This social network application, and others like it, was originally developed to help a person connect with friends and like-minded people. They have since evolved into powerful tools for communication that are being harnessed by the news media to interact with audiences. This article explores the use of social media in a local media organisation, and endeavours to determine its value to journalism.