Twitter has launched a campaign to support local journalists across the world. The campaign will create 28 full page ads on multiple local newspapers including the Detroit Free Press, Columbus Dispatch, Oklahoma City Oklahoman, Indianapolis Star, Miami Herald, Kansas City Star and Cincinnati Enquirer.
Although local journalists play a key role in providing onsite reports and mitigating misinformation, the Covid-19 pandemic has vastly affected their livelihoods and could potentially be a fatal threat to local journalism.
Niketa Patel – the Head of Print and Digital News Partnerships at Twitter – highlighted the importance of supporting local journalists:
“Local journalists are so incredibly important to the conversation on Twitter. We’re viewing this as a way of ensuring that Twitter is giving local journalists a national spotlight”.
Through this campaign, Twitter aims to help local journalists by displaying ads for both physical and digital newspapers – in an effort to help them reach a wider, national audience.Â
Twitter will also be hosting panel discussions on Twitter Spaces with international journalists – including those based in the Philippines, Myanmar, India, Japan, Thailand, and Brazil. The panels will provide a voice to these local journalists and will help gain them recognition for their work. Readers will also benefit – since the local journalists can provide accurate and factual information on the ongoing news and stories within their respective countries.
Live on @TwitterSpaces: Join the conversation with @lagipoiva, @LiceMovono and @carreondet to discuss #WPFD and #PressFreedom. #FollowLocalJournalists https://t.co/hpE2Uwu2vZ
— Twitter News (@TwitterNews) May 2, 2021
Additionally, Twitter called upon well-known reporters, journalist support groups and regular daily news consumers to use the hashtag #FollowLocalJournalists and post their favourite local journalists’ tweets. Other hashtags such as #WorldPressFreedomDay, #PressFreedom and #WPFD2021 have also been introduced in 20 languages to further amplify local journalism support efforts.
On #WorldPressFreedomDay, use #FollowLocalJournalists to @ mention your favorite local journalists and Tweet out their journalism. Twitter stands with journalists around the world. Local journalists deserve to be in the spotlight. pic.twitter.com/g7YxL3gorC
— Twitter News (@TwitterNews) May 2, 2021
Nothing is complete without a bit of charity: Twitter will also donate $500,000 each to the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Women’s Media Foundation.