Last night I took a break from house
shopping, thinking of loans and appreciating markets. I sat down to watch TV with my beautiful
husband and our roommates, Summer and Nicole.
On TV we were watching news (American news about American events).
For those who have been sleeping under a
rock (or live in Nigeria), the Boston Marathon was interrupted by a home-made
bomb which killed citizens (spectators at the event) including an
eight-year-old boy. The terrorist act
was seen as especially reprehensible because of this.
Last night as we watched TV could tell
something new was happening in Boston so we watched, only to see that the FOX news
channel screen was loaded up with “tweets”.
I am used to only seeing this on my new smart phone or my computer
screen.
“What’s all this?” I asked.
Summer and Nicole told me that there is now
“real-time” reporting based on twitter feeds.
Many news stations relied on neighbouring communities to be the eyes and
ears before cameras were at the scene. Sometimes, because of restricted access for the press, even after.
Heck with TV.
As Mario went to bed, I signed on to
twitter and streamed the police scanner.
It was like I was in Boston – specifically Cambridge. There in the elite suburb of Watertown - not
far from where my father used to live.
This was better than news. In my ears I heard the careful clear-text
communication of squad cars communicating with central dispatch, eventually realizing
that their communication with each other was being heard by the nation and becoming
coded and careful. For officer check-in
they switched to a low band.
Below is an example of the twitteri from
last night:
BREAKING: 1 suspect
dead, 2nd person on run - @7News reporter quoting source http://on.rt.com/s1s07i #Watertown
Update: #Watertown: Multiple bomb units on scene. Unconfirmed
number of suspects. Some sources say #BostonMarathon suspects, others won't.
Reddit and Twitter are
putting @msnbc @CNN, @FoxNews to shame. Take those salaries, pay
this guy: http://www.reddit.com/r/news/comments/1cnwms/mods_removed_thread_live_updates_of_boston/ … #watertown #boston
Police have another
scene a few blocks from #MtAuburnSt. We're hearing they've surrounded
home. #Watertown http://twitpic.com/ckco8j
Twitter + Boston
police scanner is killing cable news. We may be witnessing the moment when the
internet officially eclipses TV. #watertown
The Boston PD are
risking life and limb for the people of #watertown tonight. Thank you, police officers everywhere,
for your service.
possible #bostonMarathon suspect RT @JHolihan:
This is weird. Missing Brown student from months back: pic.twitter.com/P87r7ihP5L #watertown
Useful -- @dannysullivan
has curated a list of Twitter users on the ground in #Watertown - http://bit.ly/15qxFHM
Update: #MIT says campus "safe" after officer killed
- major US police operation continues in nearby #Watertown http://bbc.in/ZBnOHT
If you're trying to
catch up on all the #Watertown / #MIT developments tonight, here's our live blog: http://huff.to/15l3OQH
Update: Hospital near #Watertown/Boston where wounded police is now under code
black (bomb threat) via @MichaelSkolnik
BREAKING UPDATE:
Hospital in #Watertown now under code black which is "bomb
threat" via @MichaelSkolnik http://on.rt.com/s1s07i
UPDATE: Police in #Watertown, Mass. search for suspects in gun battle
following shooting death of MIT police officer
Full, updated @TwitchyTeam
cvg/curation of live-tweets, pix, vid of #watertown chase, gunfight, search==> http://twitchy.com/2013/04/19/watertown-mass-area-carjacking-related-to-mit-shooting-police-chase-underway-explosions-heard/ …
#Watertown Local says 2 men threw what appeared to be
"pressure cooker bomb" at police. Bomb robot still on Laurel St. (via
@ravisomaiya)
URGENT UPDATE:
Witnesses report loud blast at the scene just now #Watertown #mitshooting http://on.rt.com/s1s07i
I really think that
tonight will be remembered as the night Twitter changed news coverage forever. #Watertown
In my head I thought “I’ve finally figured
out twitter…” It wasn’t facebook in a distant second place. It wasn’t just a celebrity check in. It wasn't just the literary agent networking site that I
used to mistake it for.
Twitter has become Paul Revere riding
through the streets of Boston warning them that the British are coming. It is the whispers of the French
Revolution. It is the undeniable voices
of prophets, thieves and widows networking to become more and more
powerful.
Informed and equipped.
In one tweet I saw something that made me
laugh. It was the voice of a young man
who I can’t remember, saying “The police have figured out that the suspects are
following twitter feeds and are responding accordingly. In that case, come out! No one will shoot! Free donuts!”
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