Link Dump

Update: The link to Concentrate and instaDM is inactive.

Next week, I’m going to tackle Matthew in Ohio’s request for infographic help. But today, I want to dump a few links on you.

The first is from Steve Buttry, a fine reporter with Digital First, who recently gave a talk about verifying sources on Twitter during breaking news situations. It’s well worth a read.

The second is a tool from MuckRack. Sign up for free — it’s a great service for reporters anyway — and then you can use this tool to see which journalists are sharing your stories. It’s a great way to see which of your peers are sharing your stuff.

Next up: Concentrate. It’s a Chrome app that you can use to block certain websites for a certain length on time. For instance, if you find yourself losing hours of the day to twitter.com, you could block it for three hours. Definitely a cool plugin for the easily distracted.

For the Instagram users out there, here’s instaDM. It lets you direct message your Instagram friends — just like on Twitter.

And finally, something I forgot to add to last week’s email: Suzi in California wrote in with a calendar app recommendation:

“I’ve never tried Google Cal, but have used www.cozi.com for quite awhile and really love it. I only use the free version but it is enough for me. I’ve never had any problems with hackers with this calendar either. I like the color coding and the lists available all in one place. It is really great to keep track of family members, especially if you have kids in sports.”

 

A Big, BIG Thank You From Me

One more thing: I still can’t believe how fast this newsletter has grown. Thanks for opening your inbox for these emails. Thanks for reading. I hope it’s helping!

But I’ve got one small favor to ask: If you like the newsletter, please forward it along to a friend or two. My goal for 2013 is to help as many reporters as I can, and you guys can make sure that we get that help to even more awesome reporters.

Also: If you’ve missed an edition of the newsletter, you can always click here and go back through the archives.

Now get out there and tell some great stories today!