Political Communication blog

Since Twitter entered our discussion last week, I thought this new Washington Post article would be of some interest.

Twitter, which began in 2006, has 6 million users, a fivefold increase since last summer. The 140-character limit on each message initially seems silly, but forces a witty sort of brevity that seems well matched to today's sound-bite culture. While dwarfed by the likes of Facebook, which has become so mainstream it can hardly be viewed as edgy, the bare-bones Twitter has been generating considerable buzz lately.

In an age when people expect behind-the-scenes dish, the site enables television types to explain what they're doing -- and flatter their fans by soliciting their opinions.

...

Twitter is gradually becoming a factor in news events. When that US Airways jet made an emergency landing in the Hudson River in January, Twitter users were providing updates before the New York Times published an online story. Janis Krums, a passenger on a nearby ferry, posted a Twitter photo of the plane in the water that was quickly picked up by major news organizations.
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Fox News correspondent Julie Banderas, who was twittering at home when a plane crashed outside Buffalo, asked whether there were any eyewitnesses she could contact. Keith Burtis, who saw the crash, responded to Banderas's posting. She wound up doing a phone interview with Burtis, who later appeared on Fox.

It's an interesting use of technology for communication and both media and political leaders have no choice but to get on board. The media is beholden to its viewers, much like the politicians are to their voters. A continuous, real-time stream of feedback will become ever more important in these fast-moving times.




Update: A Tale of 140 Characters, Plus the Ones in Congress


This is an article about the use of Twitter by some congressmen at last night's address by President Obama. Pretty interesting read.