MyMediaMusings

Everyone likes to talk about the death of traditional news outlets like papers and the evening news.  Of course, that doesn’t mean people aren’t interested in current affairs.

In fact, I would argue that many people are mostly concerned that they aren’t getting the news currently enough.  This has led to all sorts of email alerts, readers and other ways to “stay on top” of the news.

Now, it is beginning to look like Twitter might be the next stop for news junkies (via CNet)

“I live in Beijing, which is about 950 miles from the epicenter. Along with others, I first learned of the quake via Twitter, which has been lit up with first-, second-, third-, and many-hand information about various personal experiences, and hundreds of links to other reports. By contrast, mainstream media such as Sohu.com were partially responsible for a massive rumor mill that pervaded Beijing on Monday evening, with an apparently incorrect prediction of a quake in Beijing between 11:00 p.m. and midnight local time–right now.”

And SAI says YouTube is the place to be:

“Want to know what that giant earthquake in China’s remote Sichuan looked like? Better yet, want to know what it’s like to experience a 7.8 magnitude quake? Someone claiming to be a Sichuan University student posted the following video to Tudou (SAI 25 #22), where it’s No. 2 on the homepage, and it was reposted on YouTube.”

This is part of a growing trend of non-traditional “news” services scooping the more traditional destinations.