Twitter was created in 2006 by Jack Dorsey. Since it was created 4 years ago, Twitter has gained popularity worldwide and has more than 100 million users. Twitter offers a social networking and microblogging service.
Messages are called tweets: they are text-based posts of no more than 140 characters, that are displayed on a user’s profile. People can read other peoples’ tweets (follower) and can have their tweets read (followed).
Users can receive and send tweets via the Twitter website, by using a smartphone, or by SMS (text message), making Twitter very convenient.
Tweet Contents:
– pointless babble: 41%
-conversational: 38%
-pass-along value: 9%
-self-promotion: 6%
-spam: 4%
-news: 4%
In November 2009, Twitter emphasized its news and information network strategy by changing the question asked to users from “What are you doing?” to “What’s happening?”. Users are also able to search Twitter for specific topics and information.
What does this have to do with the distribution of news?
Users can follow the people they care about knowing about. They can follow their favorite athlete, politician, etc., and know what they are doing. Users can also follow large news networks (FOXNEWS, NBC, etc.) for breaking headlines as they happen. Twitter allows for users to post a short blurb and connect a link for a full story.
So, news spreads quicker. People don’t have to run to the store for the morning paper, watch the evening news, or go online to websites that are offering old news. Twitter allows up-to-the-minute information on what’s going on in any place, at any time.
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