Book excerpt: The Social Media Journalist Handbook teaches readers how to be a real-world social media journalist, tracing the evolution of the field to its current-day practice. This book establishes social media journalism as the latest and one of the most effective ways to practice journalism in the 21st century. It features insights from top recruiters, editors, and senior producers working in the field, as well exercises that aid readers in developing the practical skills necessary to work successfully with social media. Readers will come away from the book with the knowledge to build strong social media strategies across different budgets, employing evergreen principles that work for different, ever-changing platforms. They’ll learn how to reach and engage with the maximum number of people, as well as find sources, raise one’s profile, conduct research, and produce stories.