> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://interhacktives.mymagic.page/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# #SMWLDN: Social media and news organisations
- URL: https://interhacktives.mymagic.page/smwldn-social-media-and-news-organisations/
- Published: 2012-02-14T21:26:59.000Z
- Updated: 2012-02-14T21:26:59.000Z
- Author: ratclifferc
- Tags: Audience & Social, #Migrated-1793717950415, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-11-03 14:59

In a room packed with iPads and smart phones, journalists from the country’s biggest news organisations gathered last night to discuss [how social media has impacted their work](https://interhacktives.mymagic.page/why-are-millennials-obsessed-with-korean-skincare-routines/).

Despite the variety of journalists present – the panel included speakers from the BBC to News International – all were agreed on one point: **social media is enabling news organisations to reach a new audience of young people.**

Over six million people have downloaded the [Guardian’s Facebook app](http://apps.facebook.com/theguardian/?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) since it was launched in September last year – and of those users 54% are age 24 and under, while 15% are ages 13-17.

Unlike the Guardian, the BBC sees social media as a publishing platform rather than a news-gathering tool. However it plans to follow in the Guardian’s footsteps by exploiting Facebook’s reach. The BBC have increased the amount of manually created content appearing on their [Facebook page](http://www.facebook.com/bbcnews), which is visited overwhelmingly by a young audience – 60% of those who “like” it are age 24 and under.

But [Mark Johnson](https://twitter.com/?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page#!/majohns), Community Editor at The Economist, showed that Facebook isn’t the only way to reach the youngsters. He said he was pleased to see younger readers leaving comments on The Economist’s [Tumblr](http://theeconomist.tumblr.com/?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) – even if they were “OMG I never knew the Greek debt was so big. lol.”

I managed to catch [Joanna Geary](https://twitter.com/?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page#!/GuardianJoanna) for a quick chat about the Guardian's Facebook app and the website's [open newslist](http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/series/open-newslist?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page).