Comments on: Twitter, News, Responsibility http://bearingdrift.com/2008/11/30/twitter-news-responsibility/ Fri, 25 May 2012 22:50:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Amit http://bearingdrift.com/2008/11/30/twitter-news-responsibility/#comment-10633 Amit Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:27:59 +0000 http://bearingdrift.com/?p=3473#comment-10633 <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/12/02/mehta.mumbai/index.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/12/02/mehta.mumbai/index.html</a> http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/12/02/mehta.mumbai/index.html

]]> By: Jason Kenney http://bearingdrift.com/2008/11/30/twitter-news-responsibility/#comment-10536 Jason Kenney Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:08:56 +0000 http://bearingdrift.com/?p=3473#comment-10536 Twitter, much like blogs, can give you a bit of an insight into the pulse of something and perhaps a trend or a bit of information. If something pops up two or three times, it may be really worth looking into. But networks (and individuals) must be careful not to buy in too early without doing their own bit of research for fear of being gamed. Just because something is mentioned a lot by the same five people doesn't mean it's true let alone news. I think what Twitter does is help internationalize what would normally be local rumors. On September 11th there were tons of rumors running around DC as to what was happening at any given moment and it led to a lot of questions locally, but many of those rumors never made it out of DC. In this day and age they'd make it out and probably be reported as news, but they could just as easily be disproven as well. Twitter, much like blogs, can give you a bit of an insight into the pulse of something and perhaps a trend or a bit of information. If something pops up two or three times, it may be really worth looking into. But networks (and individuals) must be careful not to buy in too early without doing their own bit of research for fear of being gamed. Just because something is mentioned a lot by the same five people doesn’t mean it’s true let alone news.

I think what Twitter does is help internationalize what would normally be local rumors. On September 11th there were tons of rumors running around DC as to what was happening at any given moment and it led to a lot of questions locally, but many of those rumors never made it out of DC. In this day and age they’d make it out and probably be reported as news, but they could just as easily be disproven as well.

]]> By: Joel McDonald http://bearingdrift.com/2008/11/30/twitter-news-responsibility/#comment-10533 Joel McDonald Sun, 30 Nov 2008 23:37:02 +0000 http://bearingdrift.com/?p=3473#comment-10533 In emergency situations, where there isn't enough time to verify the myriad of tweets, blog posts, etc; rumors can be taken as fact and fact can be taken as rumors. It's going to be a mix. Most people listening to the news networks are going to hold them to a higher standard of truth. Once it's said on a news broadcast, people feel it's true and that they are free to spread the information. If rumors slip in, everyone tuned in will believe them. I think it's dangerous for news networks to use this information. Those seeking additional info should do the searching themselves. They should weed out what is fact and what is fiction. It's easier for them to realize and admit that they believed rumors, than for a news network to retract the info. It's a question of standards. They are lower for twitter, far too low to be relied upon by news networks. In emergency situations, where there isn’t enough time to verify the myriad of tweets, blog posts, etc; rumors can be taken as fact and fact can be taken as rumors. It’s going to be a mix.

Most people listening to the news networks are going to hold them to a higher standard of truth. Once it’s said on a news broadcast, people feel it’s true and that they are free to spread the information. If rumors slip in, everyone tuned in will believe them. I think it’s dangerous for news networks to use this information.

Those seeking additional info should do the searching themselves. They should weed out what is fact and what is fiction. It’s easier for them to realize and admit that they believed rumors, than for a news network to retract the info.

It’s a question of standards. They are lower for twitter, far too low to be relied upon by news networks.

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