Here are a few screengrabs of what the account looks like this morning.

New York Times on Pinterest

New York Times "Hair" Pinterest Board

New York Times "Summer Escapes" Pinterest Board

New York Times "Sweets" Pinterest Board

New York Times "Street Food" Pinterest Board

Each board seems to have an equal number of followers similar to the account’s overall follower count: 347. While the images are certainly beautiful and on target for Pinterest’s typical content, I hope to see a bit more creativity down the road. But you have to start somewhere and The New York Times has finally joined the more than 150 newspapers on Pinterest.

New York Times on Pinterest

The New York Times is on Pinterest, BUT there’s not much activity coming from the account at this time. Lexi Mainland, social media editor, confirmed for me that this is in fact the official New York Times Pinterest account and said they’d begin pinning soon.

@SocialScraps Yes it is. We’ll be starting there soon.

— Lexi Mainland (@lexinyt) May 17, 2012

For now we’ll have to sit and wait with the other 203 pinners who have already started following the account.

What the New York Times has done, however, is create a few of their own boards: “Home & Garden” (346 followers), “Food & Drink” (371 followers) and “Style” (380 followers).

No real surprises there as the board names are in line with the type of content users pin, but here’s to hoping they take a few chances with their boards to see how powerful Pinterest can be.

What would you like to see the New York Times pin?

6. What has been your most popular board and pins?

On the YDR side, some of our most popular boards are those I did as a reader service. For example, the York County Parks board (each pin links to a park website), York County Libraries (each pin links to the library), and Made in York County (each pin links to company website). Note that for the library board, I had the PR person at the library send me the exterior photos of each library to pin.

I did a board with my features staff (includes contact info. for each staffer) and that has 462 followers and my Buffy’s World ad campaign board has 530. Some of the contest boards are: Peeps, sharp-dressed shoes, Doing the Y and Vacation with YDR. (Note: Follower counts are from April).

It’s interesting that the individual boards have far more followers that the overall YDR account. It shows that people do pick and choose the boards that interest them.

7. Have you had much success with collaborative boards? What tips do you have for others wanting to try collaborative boards?

At this point, we are not collaborating via the YDR boards outside our newsroom. However, a fellow journalist, Jen Westpfahl, social media editor at the Pioneer Press, asked to collaborate on one of my personal boards, Under Stairs. I asked her if she would share two of her personal boards with our Smart account, and she was happy to do it. She shared: Gluten-free recipes and photo groupings.

I personally think that newspapers within the same company should look to collaborate as a way of populating their boards and sharing content. If we share boards, the boards become more robust and we reach more people.

8. If a newspaper is on the edge about whether or not to open a Pinterest account, what would you advise they consider?

I would say that you should have a champion, someone who is excited about the platform and passionate about it. I’m not going to lie, it can be time consuming and a bit addictive. But I think that we should always try new things. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. We must be willing to fail, willing to take chances.

So my advice is that a newspaper should explore this just as they would any new social networking site. I’m constantly trying new things with Pinterest. For example, I am in the middle of a fiction blog series The Yearbook on my writing blog, Buffy’s Write Zone. I started a pin for each day’s entry that links back to the post . The series is based on posts from a 1982 yearbook and the protag tells you what happened to that classmate. Again, just trying to reach a new audience.

9. How do you think newspapers can make the best use of the platform? What tips can you offer to other papers about pinning?

I’m still learning and trying new things. I’d like to find a way to monetize our Pinterest efforts, and I am working on coming up with some viable efforts.

I think this is a great platform for posting user-generated photos. For example, if readers send the newspaper weather photos (first snow, etc.) pin them to a board and then share that board via Twitter, Facebook, Google+ etc.

Our FlipSide account is asking for photos of Easter egg hunts. They’ve created a board and anyone who shares a photo with them to pin will be put into a random drawing for a cool prize.

But definitely let your community help you populate the boards. I have a Historic Photos of York County board  and these images come from the public who has shared them with the YDR via our gallery.

Update: Yesterday Andrews sent me a few more comments and updates about her work pinning at the York Daily Record. Here are some bonus insights from her:

I continue to create new boards, experimenting to see what works. Over the weekend, I created a Honeymoons board. We are asking people to share photos from their honeymoon, along with a travel tip. We will pin these user-generated photos on our Pinterest board as well as pin on a Google map.

We are also planning a recipe contest using Pinterest as a display platform. Each month, we will challenge readers to enter a recipe using a seasonal fruit or veggie of our choice. We’ll ask that they make the recipe and take a photo of it for us to share on SmarMagPA.com and Pinterest. Random winners will be chosen in fruit and vegetable categories and will receive $25 gift cards. For May, we’ve asked readers for asparagus or rhubarb recipes.

Bonus! Check out Andrews’ blog for a recent post she did with the CEO of Pinterly, Rick Kats. In the post you’ll find valuable tips on pinning.

Don’t Miss This! The first installment of this Q & A blog series featured Amy Guth of the Chicago Tribune. Be sure to jump over to that post to check out how Guth responded to the same questions asked of Andrews.

Thanks for reading! Please say hello in the comments or catch me on Twitter @SocialScraps. Interested on being featured in this space? Please send a note to NewspapersOnPinterest@gmail.com.

Check out the Alphabetical List of Newspapers on Pinterest by clicking the image below. 

Andrews took time to answer many of my questions in an email on April 3. Her answers were so thoughtful and thorough that I decided to break it down over two days; I’ll post part two of this interview tomorrow. If you’d like to be featured in this series please contact me at NewspapersOnPinterest@gmail.com.

And now, Part One of my interview with Buffy Andrews…

1. How long has the newspaper had a Pinterest account? Why did the paper open up an account?

We only recently added Pinterest to the list of social networking sites that we participate in. The York Daily Record/Sunday News is constantly exploring ways to expand our digital footprint. We are no longer a newspaper, but a media company. It just so happens that one of the things we do, and quite well I might add, is produce a daily newspaper. But we also produce a glossy women’s magazine, make documentaries (we won an Emmy) and run a slew of websites associated with our various brands, which includes Smart, FlipSide and GameTimePA.

Pinterest is simply another tool in our toolbox that we can use to connect with our readers. Our mission is to deliver the news and information our readers want in whatever way they want to receive it. For some, that might be Pinterest.

2. Who is in charge of pinning?

As you know, I maintain my own boards . I’ve shared many of my boards with our Smart magazine account  and the YDR account. By sharing these, the boards not only show up on my account but also on the Smart and YDR accounts. And, the best part, I can post via my account on these boards without having to log off my account and onto either Smart or YDR.

Several people post to the Smart boards, but my Smart magazine editor, Kara Eberle, has primary responsibility for overseeing this account. Our FlipSide boards are overseen by my entertainment editor, Patrick Abdalla, and entertainment reporter, Erin McCracken.

Most of the YDR boards I’ve created and maintain, but others are getting involved. For example, our night news and digital desk pins the front page of the newspaper every day.

So the short answer is that it’s a team effort, but there are some key people who oversee day-to-day pinning. I would like to get more people involved. As you know, it’s a ton of work not only to pin but also to promote the pins/boards via various social media.

With more than 80 boards myself, it’s a lot to keep up with.

3. What is your strategy for pinning? What are your goals?

I hope to connect and engage with our readers. I also hope to drive traffic to our websites and promote all of the cool things we do. Some of the things I’ve promoted are contests (such as our Peeps contest  and Sharp-dressed shoes contest) and feature series by my staff (such as our oral history series  and the new series we just started, Exit Interviews).

Pinterest is just another site I use to help build a robust virtual community that encompasses all of our brands.

4. How do your pins and activity on Pinterest align with working towards those goals? How do you measure success?

We measure success by the number of repins and comments. We look at the referrals coming from Pinterest.

As I said earlier, I use Pinterest to tell people about great stories. For example, I noticed that someone had pinned a Girl Scout image on a board. I took the opportunity to share, via a comment on the pin, a story one of my reporters did that looked back on 100 years of Scouting and included video and audio files. I figured that people who would be interested in that particular pin (I pinned it myself onto My Childhood board) might also be interested in reading this great story.

I also did this with an S&H Green Stamp pin, linking to the story my staff did on people remembering collecting the stamps.  Each day, I try to find a pin that I might be able to add a link to via a comment as a way of delivering great stories to a new audience.

5. How did you build your following? What tips do you have for other papers wanting to build their follower count?

I do several things. I follow people who follow me. I will tweet an image from one of my boards and include a link to the board for people to check out other images on the board. I will also do this on YDR Facebook page, Smart Facebook page, FlipSide Facebook page, my Facebook page, all corresponding Twitter accounts, Linkedin, Google+ and any other social networking platform I’m active on.

** End of Part One. Please come back tomorrow to read more from  Buffy Andrews about how she uses Pinterest at the York Daily Record. While you are waiting, be sure to check out last week’s featured pinner: Amy Guth of the Chicago Tribune.

Want to get in touch with Andrews? She encourages you to connect with her here:

Email: Buffy@ydr.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/buffyandrews

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buffy.andrews

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=tab_pro

Tumblr: http://buffyandrews.tumblr.com/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/102646936236475852585/posts

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/buffyandrews/

Blogs: http://buffyswritezone.blogspot.com/

http://www.yorkblog.com/buffy/

More blogs:  http://www.yorkblog.com/ydrinsider/ http://www.yorkblog.com/smart/

1. Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) The first of two Kentucky Derby themed boards by the Louisville Courier-Journal is Kentucky Derby Party Recipes. The board description promises pins from “restaurants and our archives to help you put together the ultimate party. Find the best mint juleps, benedictines, bourbon balls, pimento cheese and more.” The drool-worthy board has over 55 pins and 257 followers. Sidenote: According to HubSpot’s Dan Zarrella, recipes are one of the most re-pinnable types of pins. If you aren’t already finding a way to pin images of food and share recipes, start doing it today.

The Courier-Journal's Kentucky Derby Recipes Pinterest Board

The second Derby themed board by the Courier-Journal is “Kentucky Derby Fun | Fashion” and the nine pins so far on the board are images of big colorful hats. I want one! This board has 203 followers.

Courier-Journal Kentucky Derby Fashion

2. The York Daily Record (York, Pennsylvania) A similarly themed board by the York Daily Record also centers on hats.  The Derby Hats board (with 60 pins) proclaims, “Nothing says Derby like hats!” and the board’s 401 followers seem to agree.

York Daily Record Kentucky Derby Hats Pinterest Board

With all of the attention on food and fashion one might think the main ingredient of the Kentucky Derby has been lost. Fear not my friends! The York Daily Record pays tribute to the stars of the show with its board “2012 Kentucky Derby Horses.” The board has 399 followers and 21 pins. Try this: Encourage your followers to re-pin or like their favorite horse. Promote it on your Facebook page or homepage to get readers checking out your Pinterest account.

York Daily Record's Pinterest Board "2012 Kentucky Derby Horses"

Speaking of the York Daily Record, come back Monday for a second-in-a-series post featuring a Q & A with the YDR’s own Buffy Andrews, social media coordinator and assistant managing editor of features and niche publications.

And don’t forget to check out the first post in the series, an interview with the Chicago Tribune’s Amy Guth.

So friends, does your newspaper have boards devoted to the Kentucky Derby? Which horse are you cheering for? Have a happy and fabulous weekend. Thanks for reading.

1. How long has the newspaper had a Pinterest account?
AG: The Chicago Tribune joined Pinterest in November 2011.

 2. Who is in charge of pinning?
AG: The pinning is primarily handled by my colleague, Scott Kleinberg, whereas I did a lot of the initial planning and SEO. Since I spend a good amount of time there myself, ahem, I contribute to the account as I uncover items worthy of a pin.

 3. What is your strategy for pinning? What are your goals?
AG: The companies I see doing well on Pinterest are the ones who are able to put their values on display in a visual way. In my opinion, that’s an important way to connect to readers. To me, it’s important to listen to the ways readers want to connect and meet them there.

4. How do your pins and activity on Pinterest align with working towards those goals? How do you measure success?
AG: We are careful to keep the focus on visual interest. We monitor and track Pinterest metrics and Pinterest as a referral source, month over month.

 5. Have you noticed Pinterest generating referral traffic?
AG: Yes, almost immediately I noticed Pinterest was a referral source for Chicago Tribune, as well as for one of our other properties, Chicago Shopping.

6. How did you build your following? What tips do you have for other papers wanting to build their follower count?
AG: Pinterest bleeds into a lot of other social networks, so it’s another reason why it’s important to have consistent efforts on each social networks you decide to use.

7. What has been your most popular board and pins?
AG: Our pinned historic photos and newspaper crafts do well.

 8. Have you had much success with collaborative boards?
AG: Yes, collaborative boards are a beautiful thing when team communication is solid.

 9. If a newspaper is on the edge about whether or not to open a Pinterest account, what would you advise they consider?
AG: It’s a powerful SEO tool, so it’s important to use keyword-rich board titles and pin and board descriptions. Also, it’s important to identify why you want to use Pinterest—a way to visually represent your values and the values of your readers or are you falling victim to new-and-shiny-object syndrome?—and who will curate the account—the curation part is very important.

 10. How do you think newspapers can make the best use of the platform? What tips can you offer to other papers about pinning?
AG: For news organizations, the focus on purely visual aspects rather than exclusively on news is a hard concept. I see news orgs trying to pin train wrecks and car crashes because they are breaking news, but that sort of thing just doesn’t go anywhere on Pinterest. Put your values on display, and or speak to the values of your readers, and you’ll do fine.

Bonus Question: Outside of the newspaper industry, what unique, creative or fun uses have you seen from brands or individuals using Pinterest?
AG: I think Whole Foods does an excellent job of displaying their company values on Pinterest. They aren’t out there shilling their products; they are showing what they stand for.

Please come back to NewspapersOnPinterest.com starting Monday, April 30 for extended interviews from each of the above listed sources. They’ve got plenty more to say and share than could fit in the Inlander.  Thanks for taking time to stop by my blog. If you know of a newspaper missing from my list, please comment or tweet me @SocialScraps so I can add to the over 125 newspapers (and still counting) on Pinterest. See you Monday!

Please help me get the word out by pinning this image:

After a late night Twitter session with @FarWriter and @Myers_mel I got anxious and decided to go straight to the source. I sent a tweet to Lexi Mainland, the Times’ new social media editor, and received this reply:

@SocialScraps I’ll definitely let you know. We plan to be on there this spring.

— Lexi Mainland (@lexinyt) March 27, 2012

So, while it isn’t a firm date, I’m hopeful we’ll see the NYT pinning soon. I’ll keep you posted as soon as I catch word of the new account.

The next question of course will be, what is the newspaper pinning? How would you like to see the New York Times use Pinterest?

One week after unveiling new user profile pages Pinterest announced today that they have updated their Terms of Service, Acceptable Use Policy and Privacy Policy.

One important change to the terms includes removing language that previously granted Pinterest the permission to sell anything users pinned to the site. This should be a welcome update for Newspapers on Pinterest and those still considering whether or not to join the network. The new Terms of Service go into effect April 6, 2012.

Be sure to join Kelly Lieberman and the Pinterest community tonight at 9 central for #PinChat. Lieberman will be hosting the weekly Twitter chat and tonight’s topic is Pinterest’s Terms of Service and copyright. Be there!

Hover over the image and see if the “edit” button appears on the top left of the image. If it does, click “edit” then delete the pin on the next page. This is the regular way to delete a pin and for some users the process has been working as usual.

For most accounts though, the edit button does not appear when you hover over the image. If this is the situation you find yourself in, follow these steps to remove it:

1. Click the pin once to open it up the preview.
2. Add “/edit” to the end of the URL in your browser’s address bar.
3. You should now be able to delete the pin from your board.
4. Double check to make sure the pin doesn’t also appear in your “likes”. If you see the pin there, just unlike it as you normally would by hovering over the pin and clicking the gray button that says “unlike.”
5. That’s it! Be sure to help spread the word to others who may not know they have this  spam pin on their boards.

Here’s what my feed looked like:

My Pinterest home page feed on March 17, 2012. The Best Buy gift card giveaways appeared to be those of a hacker.

So many of the people I follow were posting the same pin. Then I saw that I had pinned it too! I knew then that I and many others had fallen victim to a spam or hacker attack. Or Pinterest was taking control of everyone’s boards and placing the pin themselves (I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt and hoping that was not the case).

My next step was to try and delete the pin from the board on which it was forcibly placed. Not so simple. When I opened the pin’s preview and hovered over the image, I did not have the option to edit the pin or report the pin. Uh-oh.

So I headed over to Twitter and found this tip:

Check your #pinterest account – if it has been spammed you can delete by adding “edit” after the backslash.

— Sarah Hassemer (@shassemer) March 18, 2012

Thanks to Sarah I was able to delete the unwanted pin. I shared her tweet with my followers then promptly headed over to PinAQuote.com to create a quick image that I could share with my Pinterest followers.

I followed the simple instructions on PinAQuote to create this image:

I pinned the quote to several of my more popular boards, and to the board where the original spam was posted.

On Twitter I shared a link to this pin and tried to spread the tip to others in the Pinterest community. Thanks to Mariam Shahab ‏ (@MShahab)  and Kelly Lieberman‏ (@Tribe2point0) for helping get the word out.

Here are two of their tweets:

@SocialScraps @shassemer great minds think alike! I just did the same thing pinterest.com/pin/2151876884…

— Mariam Shahab (@MShahab) March 18, 2012

How to delete the best buy Pinterest spam pinterest.com/pin/2595199972… via @pinterest Thanks @socialscraps @MShahab #PinChat

— Kelly Lieberman (@Tribe2point0) March 18, 2012

If you aren’t already following both Mariam and Kelly on Pinterest, go to their boards now and check them out. Mariam has a FANTASTIC board featuring over 950 brands, businesses and blogs on Pinterest. Kelly is the founder of #PinChat, a weekly Twitter chat you can catch on Fridays at 9 p.m. central.