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Politics

Tweet, Tweet: Florida's Top Political Tweeters

September 9, 2013 - 6:00pm

Journalists usually have their hands full reporting politics in the Sunshine State, but they still make time to share their stories, thoughts and opinions with the world via the social networking site, Twitter. Twitter works in real time, making it one of the most valuable tools for the modern reporter and one of the quickest ways to interact and report on a day-to-day basis.

So, which Florida reporter takes the cake for the most active -- and most popular -- Twitter? Sunshine State News took a closer look at Floridas top five mega-tweeters.Heres how they stacked up:

Adam Smith, Tampa Bay Times

The Tampa Bay Times political editor, who is perhaps most notorious for his Winner and Loser of the Week in Florida politics, boasts the Twitter account with the most followers with a whopping 9,400 people and counting

Smith has been editor since 2001, which gives him a serious following of over 9,400 people, even though he doesnt tweet nearly as much as other political reporters do. Hes a good, reliable standby reporter-wise, as hes been working with the Times for over 20 years.

His tweets mostly consist of his own stories with a few retweets here and there from Florida politicians.

Marc Caputo, The Miami Herald


In terms of sheer numbers of tweets, Caputo surpasses nearly every single big-time political writer by a longshot. He has over 25,000 tweets and counting, most about Florida politics.

The Miami Herald reporter doesnt just limit himself to politics, though -- hes sort of reminiscent of following one of your friends on Twitter -- he isnt all work all the time. He also tweets at length about personal interests, like college football and rap music.

Caputos mastered the art of Twitter and hes got the followers to prove it. Over 7,000 people follow him and the number keeps on growing.

Peter Schorsch, SaintPetersblog.com


Peter Schorsch toes the line between political writer and political consultant, but his incredibly successful website, SaintPetersblog, covers a wide variety of political topics, which is what puts him on this list.

Schorsch is another big-timer in Florida political reporting and his Twitter is a testament to it -- with 50,000 tweets, one might wonder if Schorsch tweets while he sleeps (if he ever sleeps at all). The St. Petersburg-based political consultant and blogger boasts a very interactive Twitter -- sometimes he even gets into tweef or Twitter beef with some of his over 6,000 followers.

Mary Ellen Klas, The Miami Herald


The Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Chief and longtime journalist Mary Ellen Klas ranks third on this list, but her Twitter is far less interactive than Caputos or Schorschs. Instead, Klas Twitter reeks of pure political journalism and is where she posts various Herald stories day-to-day.

Klas doesnt have a lot going on in terms of interaction with her fellow tweeters, but that doesnt stop her from having thousands of followers. At the time of publication, she had over 5,600 followers, many of whom may be loyal readers of the Miami Herald, where she has worked as bureau chief since 2004.

Gary Fineout, Associated Press

Fineout, like Klas, appears to be less interactive/social than Caputo and Schorsch, but his biggest strength lies in his real-time reporting. If hes at an event, hes tweeting about it with quotes, photos, and commentary, all of which keep his followers up-to-date on state happenings and make him a valuable asset on Twitter.

Fineout works quickly and is often one of the first reporters to break top political headlines across the state. Hes no stranger to political journalism in Florida -- prior to working at the Associated Press, Fineout worked at the Miami Herald and the Tallahassee Democrat.

Over 4,400 people follow him on Twitter.

Reach Tampa-based reporter Allison Nielsen at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter at @AllisonNielsen.

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