“Tweeting” The News: New Way to Get Word Out
By Cassandra Bent
In a world where people no longer have to wait for the morning newspaper to arrive or turn the television on at the precise time the morning or evening news airs in order to receive information, reporters are changing their styles for notifying the public. Online articles can be released after the short time it takes a reporter to type up the story, and this has changed the news business.
However, there is one new, even faster way to inform people about news. Known as Twitter, this recently popular website was originally started in 2006. It is not only a way for friends to keep up with each other’s lives, but also a means for sports teams to inform fans about their stats and news, and even a way for reporters and news networks to make instant updates to stories that are forming.
One news network that utilizes Twitter is CNN. With only 140 characters allowed per “tweet”, their updates are quick and to the point.
Reporter Steve Cooper also uses Twitter. New to the Twitter craze, Cooper posted his first “tweet” October 15, 2009. The update, sent from a mobile phone, says, “Just finished covering new Bedford court arraignment#7news.” With a capitalization error, this informal way of reporting is now a new resource to help stay informed.
Steve Cooper’s latest “tweet” is about a Cambridge fire at MIT, and informs that there are “No injuries.” His recent “tweets” have been about the Boston mayoral race explaining that Flaherty claimed he would have a “photo finish” and beat Menino, but did not. These “tweets” also display capitalization errors.
Reading Cooper’s Twitter page is like reading an informal text message from a friend, and is a virtual way to follow him around. It shows what stories he is covering, and tells the basic facts and outcomes. Twitter demonstrates a different side of Steve Cooper because his reports on Channel 7 News are very formal.
