In a recent interview with a Last Word on Football journalist, The Athletic’s Leeds United expert Phil Hay discussed the role of Twitter and podcasts in his work as a journalist. With Twitter taking an increasingly prevalent role in journalism, understanding how to navigate social media sites is increasingly important for journalists everywhere.
Phil Hay Discussed the Role of Social Media in Journalism
What Does Social Media Do for Reporting on Leeds United
In the interview, the Scot stated that social media opened up plenty more opportunities for better reporting. With agents, players and coaches from around the world being just a DM away, the journalist stated that: “Now, recruitment goes everywhere in the world. The same is kind of true for journalism”. Accounts from around the world bring news from other continents to Leeds, providing a more comprehensive view of the club’s moves in the window.
What are the Drawbacks of Social Media?
Whilst social media brings journalists more leads, it also brings potentially inaccurate leads. As Hay mentions in the interview, clubs like the Whites receive links to hundreds of players every single window, which means that the majority can’t be accurate. A journalist’s role is increasingly becoming a matter of finding the most reliable sources and reporting on those, such as the departure of Dan James, whilst filtering out all of the excessive stories that ultimately go nowhere.
Has His Leeds United Podcast Helped?
According to Phil Hay, having a podcast has been helpful. It means that the most current stories about the club spread more effectively, reaching all audiences rather than simply those that read the articles on the website. Using podcasts and videos means that more people see his content. The ultimate goal of a journalist is to spread the word about a selection of important stories, and anything that amplifies an audience is ideal for achieving this.
What Else Did Phil Hay Discuss?
In the interview, Phil discussed how football journalism works, how challenging Deadline Day is and the challenging 92-mile walk he undertook for charity. You can see the entire interview here.
🏃♂️ It's 3 weeks since we finished our 92-mile charity walk to honour Gary Speed.
Donations for mental health charities @andysmanclubuk and @samaritans have just ticked past £80,000!
Big love if you've donated or helped spread the word!https://t.co/OrgEfQImMr pic.twitter.com/GGYmLa3y8t
— The Square Ball (@TheSquareBall) June 18, 2022
