Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Not Surprising
This focused study of news organizations and their use of Twitter is hardly surprising. They employ Twitter as a news feed and not to foster conversation and engagement. In other words, news organizations use Twitter as a publicity tool. Yet, these same reporters and editors find PR people objectionable. The irony is amusing. It also is instructive. A social medium does not need to be used in one way. Like any other tool, it can be adapted for other purposes. A purist might say a screwdriver may only be used for turning screws, but a practical mechanic wields it for opening paint cans as well. Pushing content through Twitter turns the medium into a headline service, which readers find useful. I suspect a broad-scale study will find most Twitter feeds are not designed for engagement but simply to inform others of events.
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