After seeing how rapidly Haiti earthquake pictures spread on the web thanks to Tweets and Twitpics, it’s no wonder Twitter is fast becoming a mainstream news source.
"Twitter was a key tool for distributing images and information from Haiti—just as it has been in a number of other crises across the globe. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that images sent via Twitpic and other Twitter-based photo services were hitting the Internet long before news agencies produced anything similar," according to PC World.
TV and radio hosts in the Caribbean country were using Twitter as a resource for their stories, and Haiti earthquake pictures were making their way from Twitter feeds to the CNN news desk.
While Twitter can’t always be trusted as a credible source of news, in situations like breaking news, it is the fastest way to get unbiased, unfiltered, uncensored information and imagery, getting word out much faster than mainstream media could ever do.
The gallery above includes a few of the Haiti earthquake pictures currently found on the Twitpic accounts of Mr_Sak_Pase and 1080i60.
Twitpics as News
Haiti Earthquake Pictures Hit Twitter Before Traditional News
Trend Themes
1. Rapid Online News Distribution - The speed at which news and images can spread on social media platforms like Twitter provides an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the traditional news industry.
2. Unbiased and Uncensored Information - Twitter's ability to share information and imagery quickly and without filters presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for news organizations to provide unbiased and uncensored news coverage.
3. Social Media as Mainstream News Source - The use of platforms like Twitter as a primary news source highlights a potential disruptive innovation in how people consume news and stay informed.
Industry Implications
1. News Media - The news media industry can take advantage of the rapid online news distribution trend by incorporating social media platforms like Twitter into their news dissemination strategies.
2. Social Media - The rise in social media as a mainstream news source creates an opportunity for disruptive innovation within the social media industry to develop more robust news-sharing features.
3. Photography and Imaging - The use of Twitpics and other photo-sharing services during breaking news events opens up new disruptive innovation opportunities for the photography and imaging industry to develop specialized tools and platforms for news professionals.