Why don't reporters and bloggers provide Twitter handle in bylines?

I curate content like crazy. I have an insatiable desire to read news, insight, and commentary on the use of the Internet for enhancing one’s reputation and growing your word of mouth reputation. My appetite is fed by an RSS reader and Twitter.

My feeds and Twitter lists enable me to see information on marketing, public relations, journalism, social media, the law, and more. As I see what I think is good information I share it on Twitter, always giving attribution to the blogger, reporter, or publisher of the content by including their Twitter handle.

I give the attribution one, because it’s the right thing to do, I didn’t write the piece. Two, to let the creator know I thought their piece was good enough to share with my audience. And three, to engage the reporter or blogger so we may have chance to exchange notes and possibly meet in person.

I’ve received many thank you notes from reporters for for this and gone on to connect at LinkedIn and meet in person with many more whose content I have shared.

But why make it hard for a guy like me to give you a “Twitter attribution?” The vast majority of bylines do not provide a Twitter handle. So I need to go look up the reporters Twitter handle, not easy to do when their name is Jane Smith.

For those going half way with a “Follow me on Twitter” link, that’s a start. But I may not know if I want to follow you yet. Why not a here’s my Twitter handle, right where you include your email address.

I don’t think I am whining like Andy Rooney here. It’s to your advantage as a reporter, blogger, or columnist to get your Twitter handle in front of people with your stories. As with including your email address, it’s how you request that your readers engage you. Engagement is what it’s all about today, just pushing cutting a story and running doesn’t cut it.

More than email today, you as a blogger, reporter, and columnist are engaging the public as well as your sources for news (officials, agencies, fellow bloggers/reporters, company mar/com professionals) via Twitter. Twitter is not only a distribution channel for news, Twitter is a vehicle for receiving information giving rise to our stories.

Help yourself and be nice to us old guys. I’m still hunting and pecking on my keyboard.