The Revolution Will Not Be Televised – But It Will Be On Twitter

By Beth J. Bates, New Media Special Correspondent

Whether we like it or not, Twitter has planted its flag in the world of citizen journalism. It's become my primary medium for getting news and, quite frankly, I've forgotten that I have the option of getting my news on TV.

I found out about the crash landing of the U.S. Airways flight into the Hudson river and the recent passing of pitchman, Billy Mays from Twitter.

During the Iran election turmoil, the U.S. government requested that Twitter forgo routine maintenance in order to keep the lines of communication open between the media, protesters and the rest of the world.

The recent passing of pop icon Michael Jackson almost brought down Twitter's network. And when a prank website reported (falsely) that Jeff Goldblum and Harrison Ford had died the same day as Jackson, Twitter spiked off the charts.

While I think that over time the face and functionality of Twitter will evolve (and may no longer be known as Twitter), the spirit will remain the same. Technology is paving the way for regular people to report breaking news as it happens — whenever and wherever — with the push of a button.

• Twitter Brings Users Together in Real Time for Iran Election, MJ
• A Twitter Timeline of the Iran Election
• Twitter proves powerful in raising awareness of situation in Iran

How do you feel about how social media is changing the way we report the news?

Beth J. Bates consults with Hinge on social media tool selection and strategy and helps its clients find effective ways to leverage these new mediums to meet business goals.