Guess Who’s Hosting #Journchat?

A few years ago I stumbled onto Twitter unsure and suspicious of its use.

Today I’m such a die-hard, vehement supporter that for a while I pitched its virtues to anyone and everyone who would listen. Some were interested, some scoffed at my glee, some took note. Most pretty much didn’t know what I was talking about. “Why would I use Twitter,” nonbelievers questioned. I’ve since scaled back what some call near-hucksterish acclaim, but if you buy me a drink, or feign enough interest, I’ll glow and share why I think it’s one of the most powerful tools for journalists, and professionals across almost any industry. Bottom line, if you’re in the media, and you want to get take the pulse of realtime news, it’s far past time to get on board. The train’s already moving high-speed, and if you don’t have a ticket yet, it’s time to jump on and play stowaway.

One of the beauties of Twitter is the industry chats. One of the best is Journchat, which I’m excited to say I’m hosting Monday May 28, Memorial Day, from 5-6 PST (special thanks to the media maven behind the chat, Sarah Evans for having me). I know, it’s a holiday, and you’re probably busy barbecuing. But I’m sure you have a smartphone or a tablet, and a few minutes between flipping burgers and hot dogs. So logon.

For those of you who don’t know, #journchat is a weekly discussion of the best and worst in journalism. It’s a forum for journalists, pr and media professionals to gather and share tips, concerns or field questions. Why use it? Because it’s a platform to connect with the industry, speak your mind and get answers. Here’s a preview of the chat: State of newspapers 2012.

1. Is Patch a failure? Reports say the AOL local coverage site is losing $150 million a year. What does this say about the local online community news experiment? (Background)

2. Did Warren Buffett just save the newspaper industry with his planned purchase of 63 local papers for $142 million? Is the man who calls free online news “unsustainable” the next Rupert Murdoch? What happens to journalism (or at least the public perception of unbiased journalism) when one person controls so much? (Background and More)

3. Is Rupert Murdoch getting off the hook too easily for the News Corp. scandal? What about Piers Morgan who allegedly taught employees how to hack? Should CNN punish him? (Background)

4. The New Orleans Times Picayune is moving from a daily to a three time a week print strategy. They promise to keep online coverage 24/7 but will this kill the paper? (Background and More)

5. Gawker plans to monetize comments on its site: good or bad for the industry? Is this the future of paywalls, and can you see your pub doing this? (Background)

— Adam Popescu