Comments on: Retweets from the RICO gang trial

By: twistudios

twistudios — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:27:20 +0000

Twitter is useful only if one follows the tweets throughout an event, such as a trial. If one tried to pick up a tweet or two and expect to get the whole story, they would be missing out on a lot of information much like catching a radio news story midway. I see twitter (as it has been used in recent trails) as a written version of a radio or television news story. In addition, the news public is accustomed to learning the story after the fact, twitter does it as it is happening. Sorta like a live news conference that we see on televison.

Personally, I use twitter for the awesome, awesome links that users post (primarily photography related. Plus I have learned about some great new places to hang out in Wichita.

By: ronsylvester

ronsylvester — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:18:20 +0000

The reaction we've gotten is very positive. People feel they're getting more detail from my Twitter reports throughout the day, making it more comprehensive than what they might find in print. I am able to report much more through Twitter than I can manage to get in one newspaper article.

That said, I am glad I have the opportunity to pull all the information together for a "well-reasoned" story at the end of the day. But I can tell when I post to Twitter I think about the information I need to provide and what would best serve those following me. Because it's a social networking tool, I can also answer questions people may have and interact with them in a way I never could before. In those cases, I believe the tweets are "well-reasoned." I don't sacrifice my professional standards just because I'm using a different medium.

I've also had people tell me that they don't regularly read the newspaper, or even visit our web site, but they get the information I provide on Twitter. I look at this as just another avenue to deliver news.

I hope this helps.

I also hope we'll hear from those people who find Twitter useful, who will explain what they get out of it.

By: billbodiggins

billbodiggins — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:42:19 +0000

I’m sorry, but I just do not relate to this Twitter stuff. It appears to be little more than a list of spur of the moment disjointed stream of consciousness. It can never take the place of a well reasoned and comprehensive news article. Or maybe that is just the point, it does not have to be reasoned or comprehensive. But, wait a minute, maybe that is also the point and why it is a waste of time.