Hacking scandal boosts popularity of CIoJ Facebook page
CIoJ facebook page
The fall-out from the phone-hacking scandal and the growing interest in the CIoJ’s work to promote professionalism and excellence within the media has led to massive increase in the popularity of our Facebook page.
The page offers a daily service of news and information alerts for journalists and others interested in media issues.
For months it had been attracting about 40,000 hits a month, but since the scandal broke that figure has rocketed to more than 105,000 (on the day of writing), an increase of 232 per cent on the previous four weeks.
That figure includes about 450 registered users of the service, a figure which has remained static.
Registered users automatically get updates posted on their own Facebook pages. Others have to go to the Institute’s page to see the latest news.
CIoJ Vice-President Charlie Harris, who set up and runs the page, told The Journal: “It is obvious that many people are visiting the page several times a day to keep informed of this fast-moving story.
“They clearly appreciate the “one-stop shop’ we offer. I monitor dozens of online news sources, both at home and abroad, so that users of our page don’t have to.”
Most visitors to the page are based in the UK , but many live abroad, with the second biggest group living in India. As of July 28, the rest of the league table’s top-10 was: Ghana , USA, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Ireland, South Africa, Bangladesh and Tanzania.
There are users in nine other countries, including a group in the United Arab Emirates.
Charlie Harris explains: “A random check on many users shows that most work in the media, so the page is an invaluable recruitment tool. As well as the regular news updates, it also carries lots of information about the Institute and a link to the CIoJ website.
“I regularly post invitations to users to consider joining us, and plug the International division to attract applications from overseas visitors.”
Harris appeals to all Institute members who use Facebook to register as users of the page and to occasionally re-post items from it on their own pages to spread awareness of the Institute to their owns “friends”, many of whom probably work in the media. He would also welcome feedback from members on how the page could be developed and improved.
The CIoJ Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/pages/Chartered-Institute-of-Journalists/108017897514
All posts also appear on Charlie Harris’s Twitter feed, HotMetalHack, which has nearly 200 followers, spreading the name of the Institute even further. Many are re-tweeted by a blogger called Public Authority Watcher, reaching 300 more people.
