November 28, 2008

Tweeting the terror: How social media reacted to Mumbai

_45244903_ambulance_afp466.jpg The minute news broke of the terrorist attacks on Mumbai, India, social media sites like Twitter were inundated with a huge volume of messages. CNN reports.

quotemarksright.jpgWith more than 6 million members worldwide, an estimated 80 messages, or "tweets," were being sent to Twitter.com via SMS every five seconds, providing eyewitness accounts and updates.

Many Twitter users also sent pleas for blood donors to make their way to specific hospitals in Mumbai where doctors were faced with low stocks and rising casualties.

Others sent information about helplines and contact numbers for those who had friends and relatives caught up in the attacks. Tweeters were also mobilized to help with transcribing a list of the dead and injured from hospitals, which were quickly posted online. quotesmarksleft.jpg

Picture from the BBC

emily | 12:43 PM | Twitter | Add this this entry to your del.icio.us bookmarks. Digg This Technorati search results for this Entry
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