News workers are finding social networking to be a means of maintaining personal contact with their audiences. In an exploratory study, Twitter followers of local television news personalities were surveyed to assess their motivations for following these individuals, as well as their affinity toward the local station. The findings of this survey of 212 Twitter followers support the notion that social motivations best explain the use of social media. In addition, news workers who have Twitter followers might be enhancing viewers' affinity toward the news person’s television station.
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