The New York Times has named Jennifer Preston as its new "social media" editor, the AFP reported.

An internal memo issued by the Times detailed Preston's duties, including "expanding the use of social media networks and publishing platforms to improve New York Times journalism and deliver it to readers."

The memo also said that Preston would be working with the paper's staff in order to train them in using social media resources "to find sources, track trends, and break news as well as gather it."

Social Media sites mentioned in the memo included Twiter, Facebook, and Flickr.