Photographed by Cassandra Tomei
@CareyPena3tv
As an investigative reporter for KTVK 3 On Your Side, Carey Pena helps to solve crime and expose injustices.
Followers: 6,463
Following: 6,416
Number of Tweets: 3,336
Who are your favorite people to follow?
It's a challenge to narrow down my favorites because I enjoy following different people for different reasons. But if I had to say, off the top of my head, I enjoy Tweets by @lorimoreno because she's positive, fun and Tweets good info (and she's a fellow Arizonan); @jason_pollock is a filmmaker, writer, activist who Tweets on a wide range of interesting topics; @marismith and @jaybaer are both engaging and informative for the social media crowd.
Why did you start Tweeting?
I started Tweeting while hosting our weekend morning show because I thought it would be an excellent way to take the pulse of the audience. Since it's a three-hour show, it gave me a lot of opportunity to talk with people from the set and gauge how they were reacting to news and live interviews that we were broadcasting at that moment. I value the instant feedback and interaction, even the criticism.
Where do you usually Tweet from?
I Tweet from my laptop either in the newsroom or at home. That is unless something strikes me while I'm on the go or I'm covering a story that I want people to know about that very second, then I Tweet from my BlackBerry. And I'm considering an Apple iPod, depending on how much technology I want to carry around with me.
What do you never Tweet about?
Unless it's something really funny or relevant, I don't Tweet much about my personal day-to-day activities. I try not to waste anyone's time with what I post.
Is there one Tweet you've done that was your absolute favorite?
I can't say that I have one all-time favorite. I Tweet on such a wide variety of subjects: politics, news and sports, investigative stories I am working on, and cultural observations. I also love Tweeting about two of my passions: fashion and design. And sometimes, if it is really worth sharing, I might Tweet about (or send a Twitpic of) my Italian Greyhound, Sierra. She's 12 pounds of non-stop comedy.
What Tweet has generated the most response?
Tweeting about hot topics in the news always generates a lot of response. We’ve had a string of controversial stories here in Arizona that have caused my Twitter page to blow up: the new gun law, the so-called ‘birther’ bill, and, of course, the immigration debate.
What is the strangest place you've Tweeted from?
I haven't traveled as much over the past year; otherwise, I'd be able to say somewhere distant and exotic. I know Larry Fitzgerald from the Cardinals has been traveling quite a bit and Tweeting from some pretty cool places, like Egypt. I think he's done a really good job with his Twitter posts.
How do you choose who you follow?
I check out everyone's bio and read some of their Tweets to get a sense of who they are and why they are on Twitter. I won't follow anyone who has a hateful tone or who posts Tweets that are lewd. Other than that, I like to follow a wide range of people from the social media crowd, to charities, to politicians, to every day folks Tweeting about what’s interesting to them. I also love to follow people all over the world; what an incredible way to see varying points of view from different cultures. And I love to use Twitter comments on the air when it makes sense. When I first started using Twitter on air about a year ago, I wanted to broadcast a Tweet from Shaq on our morning show. But the thing is, you aren't always sure if the accounts are legitimate so I sent him a message asking somehow to confirm it was, indeed, the real Shaq. He called the newsroom and left me a hilarious voicemail. It was definitely him.
Do you have anything else to add about Twitter?
I see Twitter as an incredible force for communication on a local, national and global level, not just a place to promote yourself. To me it is a sharing of thoughts and ideas, the ability—like no other—to read a steady stream of conciseness. While everyone doesn't see the value, I have to admit—I'm hooked.
