Thread by @FolkReporters

A guide to being a #folkreporter with @BlackByGodWV - a 🧵:
Good ole fashion #folkreporting is done by YOU the citizen. Witnessing is one of the most important things we as citizens can do to keep our elected officials and community accountable. 1/

When forming a thread on what you are witnessing, it is important to tag the elected officials you are covering when ever that is an option. Including relevant hashtags is also important. If you are at a #countycommission meeting let folx know! Tag your municipalities as well. 2/

Let people know you are a folk reporter! Include the following at the begining of your thread:

#folkreporter | @BlackByGodWV | @folkreporters

3/

Keep count of how many tweets are part of your thread. Use # / as you see in this thread, which allows folx to see if there is more to your story either before or after the tweet they are seeing. #Thread tweeting allows you to sort your reporting one complete thought at a time 4/

Sometimes writing a thread can be daunting. But we have helped by creating #templates for you to report your experience with. 5/

With all #folkreporter stories, let us know how the #vibes of the meeting are. Tell us if you felt №safe. If it was welcoming. Were folks hostile? Friendly? What was the room like? How were COVID mitigation policies? How were people dressed? 6/

When reporting, tell us what the big take aways are from the meeting. Were there any action items on behalf of the commission or committee? What action items do we as the public need to know about? How can we organize on the issues at hand? #actionitems #directaction 7/

But most of all @BlackByGodWV focuses on centering the #BIPOC experience. Make sure that your story covers these important issues and how they pertain to or affect #communities of color. 8/

Take time to speak truth to power, creating a journalistic record of things happening in our communities and state. Get comments. Call elected officials using the citizens guide to online #advocacy: citizensguide-wv.org 9/

And lastly, if your thread is long, you can also make it easier for folx to read by asking @threadreaderapp to unroll it for you, especially as part of your last tweet in a thread! 10/10

Now go get em little rock stars!
#folkreporter | @BlackByGodWV | @FolkReporters