To cover the entire story in today’s media landscape, journalists must reach out in many directions for both the collection and the distribution of information. Social media is becoming a standard in modern journalism and it is an integral part of the new DW News – providing a different angle to every story while giving the audience space to shape the debate and add depth and context to the issues.

DW’s social media service @dwnews is much more than a comment section for articles. On Live Blogs, users can are connected to a web of DW content and can follow of all the stories being covered during the live broadcast of DW News. DW’s social media team covers aspects of major stories posted on social media such as a tweeted photo from the negotiating table posted by American Secretary of State John Kerry or a YouTube video posted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Live Blogs also features stories from the world of social media such as a ban on “selfies” being proposed in Russia or a social media image campaign in Africa. These stories are tailored for discussion and they develop as users make their contributions. Another feature is the question of the day, a daily poll that allows users to share their opinions on stories covered by DW.

During broadcasts of DW News, the social media desk adds an important angle to stories and develops its own features, such as a profile of a Somali bloggers who are showing a different side to their country on social media than what the common news narrative would deliver. Careful verification and analysis is essential to using social media as a news source and DW applies the same journalistic standard as it would to any other source.

Moderated by experienced journalists Elizabeth Shoo and Carl Nasman, the social media desk and @dwnews represent a new direction for DW’s news broadcasting and both will play an essential part in the success of DW News and DW’s overall strategy for the future.