Before writing for Twitter Journalism, I had a perceived notion that Twitter was just a fad used by self-absorbed social-media addicts interested only in news that affected them personally.

Since I could not grasp why anyone would care what someone ate for lunch that day, I just assumed that the Twitter fad would vanish just as fast as it arrived. Yet, after writing just a few short posts I was able to realize the impact Twitter has had on the journalism community.

Whether it is used to find breaking news, network or self-promote, Twitter is a tool that no journalist can afford to ignore—including myself. So I went on a quest to discover some tips on how the most successful journalists use Twitter on a daily basis, and here are the top three I found:

1. Finding News. Thanks to Mashable.com, I was able to discover Muck Rack, a Website compiled of real-time Twitter activity by credible journalists.

Since Muck Rack, according to Mashable.com, is searchable by news organization, tweets, links, and photos submitted by journalists, it is easy to find breaking news from reliable sources.

By seeking out what journalists are tweeting about today on Muck Rack, you can help predict the news for tomorrow.

Here are some examples of breaking news tweets posted on Muck Rack today:

1. 
   latimesmuskal Rahm Emanuel to meet Israeli leaders http://lat.ms/dyhNBu [D.C. Now] 25 May 2010 from twitterfeed
2. 
   benpolitico South Carolina GOPer emails: “Politico might be well served to establish a Columbia bureau. “ 25 May 2010 from Twitter for iPhone
3. 
   davidjoachim Forbes to acquire True/Slant – http://bit.ly/a7PWcv 25 May 2010 from web

2. Networking. Every Monday evening, around 7 to 10 p.m. central time, journalists, bloggers and PR folks from across the nation join together to talk about the media industry via Twitter using the hashtag #journchat.

The #journchat creator and moderator, @PRsarahevans, keeps the discussion going by posting hot topic questions about the industry roughly every 10 minutes. Any discussion participant can ask the questions by sending them directly to @journchat.

Here are some examples of questions generated from last week’s #journchat:

1. 
   journchat Q2 @AsianStig What are the necessary skills that every journ or PR person needs? (e.g. Computer science, or something else?) #journchat 25 May 2010 from TweetChat
2. 
   journchat Q3 How have you changed your daily work flow to accommodate #SM? What task(s) have gone away (or are you trying to get rid of)? #journchat 25 May 2010 from TweetChat
3. 
   journchat Q5 PER @lacajag What’s #1 prep-for-real-life thing (class, info, equip) missing in journ programs? >CC: @jayrosen_NYU @jeffjarvis #journchat 25 May 2010 from TweetChat

Not only can journalists new to Twitter use #journchat to discuss their industry, they can use it to find and gain interesting followers.

For example, just last week alone I was able to find seven media moguls to follow, and five to follow me @RKFiorentino. Just imagine how many followers a journalist could gain by joining the #journchat discussion weekly.

3. Self-Promoting. While some news organizations are developing strict rules and regulations for their reporters to follow while on Twitter, others are using social media personalities to gain readership.

Take the Chicago Tribune’s Twitter personality @ColonelTribune for example. According to Mashable.com, the voice of one of the most respected news organizations in the world is one that just wants to sit down and have a scotch with you.

Instead of just posting article links on their Twitter page, @ColonelTribune adds personality and engages with its audience members, asking and answering questions on a regular basis.

And one way to ensure that you are engaging with your followers after posting article links is to check your @ replies frequently.

If someone made a comment or asked a question regarding your tweet, it is crucial to answer them immediately. As a new journalist to Twitter, not only will replying ensure that the person will read your articles again, it can entice all of their followers to check them out as well.

For a more detailed look at how journalists can use Twitter, take a look at this YouTube video posted by BeatBlogging: