This research seeks to quantify social media’s value as a reporting tool for journalists by understanding it as an instrument for accessing personal data. A national survey of reporters at all large and midsize U.S. newspapers shows that journalists place more value on Twitter than Facebook as it relates to professional practice. Evaluation of the various practice-based functions relative to individual journalists’ value perceptions suggests that Facebook’s value is tied to its use for querying friends and conducting research. Twitter’s value was significantly tied to the platform’s use for querying followers, performing research, and activities associated with contacting sources.