Twitter Revolution is a documentary that aired on CNBC that discussed the key events, people, and situations that have transformed the microblog site. From the 2009 US Airways plane crash in the Hudson to many events that followed afterwords, this documentary chronicles the stories and actions that helped evolved the platform to what it is currently today.
It also captures and discusses the impact of Twitter during the Boston Bombings earlier this year. What is interesting and captivating about this documentary were hearing the stories from the individuals, not news organizations necessarily, who were involved capturing the moments in real-time on Twitter. It also discussed the impact of organically created hashtags by users during a catastrophe. Interviews and stories from the Boston PD and journalism students at the event were also discussed.
The documentary also goes inside the culture and environment of Twitter themselves. We have seen a lot of features and similar stories for Facebook, but this documentary does present a window into what it is like in “The nest” at Twitter. You really get a sense of the people behind the Twitter logo as well as their individual stories.
“Telling our own story” was one of the main points being emphasized – so the rise of owned media and how journalism professionals stated that they can’t be successful without understanding Twitter today. We also get a sense of their evolution of the platform – ranging from the creation of hashtags to their latest app, Vine.
This documentary is a must see especially for those who are working in crisis communications. They do a really good job in capturing the individual stories that are in focus in the Boston Bombing, and we get a sense of the emotion, behaviors, and actions from the various parties involved and what they shared via Twitter. We also get a sense of the power of stories and how this is used in reporting the news, acknowledging momentous events in society, and engaging in communities around the world.
However, we have to acknowledge here with the documentary here as well that anyone – a regular resident or journalist – can report on the news. We have to be careful regarding this and consider not only what to post and what to share, but follow ethical procedures and training professionals get in communicating the news.
Overall, Twitter Revolution is a must see for all social media professors, professionals, and students. It was great to see and hear all of the stories emerging across the board, hear people’s perspectives on the microblog site, and discuss the behaviors and actions that motivate people to search for information and comment on a related issue. This is something to show to students and others since this documentary does provide a nice overview of the story and culture of Twitter.
I have to thank my student Rachel Cleary from my social media class for sharing this with me via our class hashtag #Freberg13. Thanks again Rachel!
Hope you all are having a great Labor Day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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