*puts up hand*
Hmm, it seems i'm the only one in the room, but I bet that the majority of you have a Twitter account and consider yourself a Tweetheart. (while you're at it, why don't you follow me on @ melevans). I know that in the past couple of months Twitter has metaphorically exploded and now more and more people are signing up to the social revolution.
140 characters+Incredible succinctness = Emerging love affair.
However what I didn't realise (well I did, but was too scared to admit) is that it seems journalists are taking to Twitter to release breaking news right as it's happening. Social commentary at its finest!
This morning I had my Advanced Broadcast Journalism lecture, where I learnt about this booming, popular and take-over-the-world powerful medium emerging through Twitter journalism. My lecturer, Julie Posetti (@julieposetti, tell her Mel sent you) at the moment is actually educating journalists from the Sydney Morning Herald about the importance of social media and journalism, enabling traditional print journalists to engage with the public on a real-time basis.
These are just some of the most exciting times for journalism at the mo. Since voice was invented (pretty sure it was by Alexander Bell in the 20's- before that mime was the only means of person-to-person communication) and ever since annoying voice (invented by Spencer Pratt in the noughties) people have spoken. About anything and everything. Twitter enables us to speak in reeeeeally short sentences, and people are listening! Probably something to do with the fact tweets are so interesting. 140 characters keeps you engaged (if you're tweets are boring, you are doing something crazily wrong).
Just by logging onto Twitter today, I got my news:
ENTERTAINMENT: @cleomag Cleo Magazine
Want all the inside goss from the editors from @PARKSTTV? Tune in to the @KerriAnneShow on Channel Nine tomorrow at 9.30am...
NATIONAL: crikey_news Crikey.com.au
Wivenhoe release could’ve prevented the floods? No way, say experts http://bit.ly/hk3OC5 #qldfloods
Morrison's recent comments about Christmas Island victims are part of a pattern of attacks on Muslims from the Liberals http://bit.ly/hvdzcL
WORLD: SarahHarrisNews Sarah Harris
Woman journo raped during Egyptian protests. Even more horrific is what some women say about it (via @samanthamaiden)http://bit.ly/dKOubs"
BEAUTY: CherieHerrmann Cherie Herrmann
A/W ’11 New York: Beautiful bright, punchy sunset hues at Marc Jacobs, Jill Stuart and Thakoon http://bit.ly/egmuTU #NYFW
SOME MORE POLITICS: latikambourke Latika Bourke
Menzies House says there was 'unease' about it being posted anonymously and this was leading to several people being blamed for it 'unduly.'
It's just amazing how Twitter is revolutionizing (is it a z? I always thought it was an s...) the way information is disseminated. I'm pretty excited to see where it's all heading in a year or two.
How do you all think we will be getting our information in the future? Do you think the humble newspaper will still be around in a decade? Talk to me people!
Smell ya later
x.
p.s. I promise to blog about the random stuff I normally do again soon, just felt like getting on my soapbox this arvo
I absolutely agree! Twitter is the place where surprisingly, I can learn and play at the same time. All the info on the flood, the Egypt riot and even things like the Globes and NYFW, Twitter is the first place that I am able to find information. It is increasingly important for journalists to know how to use social media to communicate but, at the same time, be professionally personal.
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