The article opens with the phrase:
"It was the day social media appeared to come of age and signaled itself as a news-gathering force to be reckoned with."
Now CNN ireports are a testament to its use of citizen journalism and it is not notably far behind other broadcasters in its use of UGC.
But the opening line to this piece is quite absurd. It ignores the use of online media during major events such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, the 7/7 attacks in 2005, this year's US Presidential election (and the 2006 mid-terms: anyone remember George Allen?), the Chinese earthquake in Sichuan this year and last year's protests in Burma.
Social media came of age a few years before the attacks in Mumbai. I'm not sure one could identitfy exactly when, and for who. Whether the MSM find it an irritation, a slideshow or a direct threat, social media is already 'a news-gathering force to be reckoned with.'
In fact, Paul Bradshaw at the Online Journalism Blog has been compiling a list of the 'biggest moments in journalism-blogging history.' Some are the same as those I've listed above, but others are additional.
Although the identification of the role of UGC during the attacks is important, it also highlights an attitude which sees the use of tools such as Twitter and blogs - certainly by those not part of the mainstream media - as something unusual, a phenomenon worthy of identification. How long will this remain the case?
But the opening line to this piece is quite absurd. It ignores the use of online media during major events such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, the 7/7 attacks in 2005, this year's US Presidential election (and the 2006 mid-terms: anyone remember George Allen?), the Chinese earthquake in Sichuan this year and last year's protests in Burma.
Social media came of age a few years before the attacks in Mumbai. I'm not sure one could identitfy exactly when, and for who. Whether the MSM find it an irritation, a slideshow or a direct threat, social media is already 'a news-gathering force to be reckoned with.'
In fact, Paul Bradshaw at the Online Journalism Blog has been compiling a list of the 'biggest moments in journalism-blogging history.' Some are the same as those I've listed above, but others are additional.
Although the identification of the role of UGC during the attacks is important, it also highlights an attitude which sees the use of tools such as Twitter and blogs - certainly by those not part of the mainstream media - as something unusual, a phenomenon worthy of identification. How long will this remain the case?
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