Twitter Wars
In a novel use of social media, Israel is live tweeting its bombing of Hamas, reporting out results, warnings, and other historical war facts through video and images.
During the past hour, the IDF targeted approx. 70 underground medium range rocket launching sites in #Gaza. Direct hits were confirmed. - Link
Did you know? In the last decade, over 12,800 rockets fired from #Gaza exploded in #Israel RT to show #IsraelUnderFire. - Link
The messaging strategy is two-fold: one, to inform residents in real-time and two, to propagandize the ongoing strife, striking fear into citizens and the opponent.
We’re living in a remarkable era of communication where Twitter puts people in direct contact with the source of news, essentially replacing the newswires.
While instant and primary information makes us more safe, it also can spread unnecessary danger. Spurious news can spread fast, provoking fear, hatred, rebellion and even war. That’s why traditional news outlets check the facts before pushing a story.
The medium is the message; yet, we can’t blame Twitter for allowing open dialogue and facilitating conversation. We have to become more responsible users, using the wisdom of crowds to check the veracity of claims.
We’re all reporters now.