Following the Leader: An Exploratory Analysis of Twitter Adoption and Use Among Newspaper Editors

Abstract

Some media critics say Twitter use by newsroom leaders sends a strong innovation message to the rest of the newsroom. This exploratory study examined Twitter use among 74 editors at top U.S. newspapers to evaluate their adoption and use of the social media tool. A content analysis of Twitter accounts revealed many of them were not frequent users. Those who do are primarily using it as a tool to promote content from their own publications. The similarities between this analysis and similar studies would suggest that if newspapers hope to more effectively use Twitter, their leaders need to be willing to do so as well.