Download - Global Journalist

GLOBAL JOURNALIST Winter 2008
people, making it difficult for any
news channel to cover it end-toend.
New media complemented
effectively by providing coverage
and useful information like helpline
numbers, which news channels
initially ignored.
CNN reported that 80 updates
arrived every 5 seconds on Twitter.com,
a social network site that
provides real-time social messaging
and statuses between coworkers,
friends and family.
Twitter user naomieve captured
the feeling well: “Mumbai is not
a city under attack as much as it
is a social media experiment in
action.”
Its updates served as public
service announcements on where
to donate blood, a news ticker
with death toll updates and even
comic relief.
One Twitter user wrote, “Random
3 a.m. question while we
wait for news to filter in: Why
doesn’t our PM move his facial
muscles when he communicates?”
Numerous blog posts and thousands
of pictures were uploaded
on Flickr, an image hosting and
online community platform.
Google mapped the attack sites
and a Wikipedia page has been
updated at least a thousand times
with full descriptions of the attacks’
strategic sequence.
Social news sites like Mahalo
and Ground Report have also
been active in Mumbai, and covered
the attacks with as much activity
if not more than traditional
media channels.
Blogs like Mumbai Help (www.
mumbaihelp.blogspot.com) proved
helpful with providing information
on helpline numbers in the
city and suggestions like, “Suggest
you avoid calling. Lines are
bound to be screwed.”
New social media gave common
Indian citizens an opportunity
to come together, discuss
their woes and create their own
action plans with a global appeal
and reach beyond traditional media.
The traditional media’s push
mechanism provides only select
opinions while new media’s pull
mechanism is designed for more
interactivity and a wider spectrum
of opinions.
People around the world
posted their comments and view-
3 Article 5 of 134
Show Contents
5 Page 42 of 836