MARCH 6, 2009

Major Media Is Keeping An Eye On Twitter

Everyone is joining Twitter these days. I’m not just talking about all the famous people that have joined. I’m talking about how major media, politicians, TV personalities and corporations have embraced it and are using it as a direct line of communication. Talking about Twitter is also a growing trend on the cable news networks, as Jon Stewart recently highlighted on The Daily Show.

While Stewart takes his usual cynical approach to Twitter, I think it is a valuable tool when used in the right way. Jeremy Rue over at the Knight Digital Media Center boils it down to this: use Twitter to communicate what you are doing, don’t use it as another syndication device. I have to admit that I am a little guilty of the later. While I do have my own Twitter account, it is linked to feed headlines of the many blogs I write for. However it is also broadcasts my Facebook status- so it’s not entirely made up of headlines.

So who is using Twitter right? I think CNN is doing a great job with using Twitter as a way to reach out to its viewers. Rick Sanchez has an entire newsblock on CNN where he talks to viewers online about their views on the day’s headlines. Other CNN anchors have used their Twitter accounts to reach out to viewers as well. Fellow DC Blogger Meggie Poo recently wrote how she ended up on CNN with a simple 140 character tweet to CNN’s Don Lemon.

Just this week Sky News (UK) dedicated a full-time staff member to act as the 24-hour news network’s Twitter correspondent. Beginning Monday, March 16, Ruth Barnett’s new role will be to scour Twitter for breaking news stories and respond to viewer feedback.

In today’s fast-paced world we are too busy to read long emails and blogs, that’s why Twitter has caught on with so many people. Its 140 character limit forces concise, direct communication that’s easy to send and digest. But on the flip side, is Twitter a sign that our short attention spans have forever changed the way we communicate?