Black Slate Media

I’ll be the first to admit, but I’ve been a bit behind on this whole Twitter phenomenon. Perhaps the “What are you doing?” catchline failed to captivate, but I’m now warming up it. You might even notice my latest Tweet at the top of this very page. Many bloggers have been discussing Twitter’s undeniable presence at SXSWi over the past week or so. All of this has got me thinking of Twitter’s potential role in traditional online media

Since its launch, Twitter has been used as for much more than a way of simply saying what you are doing. It is a social network, a micro-blog, and a group conversation all rolled into one. By April 1, 2008, Twitter will have approximately one million users. The service is absolutely free and adding a feed to any site is a breeze. Tweets are sent in seconds through a variety methods, including AIM, GTalk, Dashboard widgets, and cell phones. So one must ask, how can’t journalism benefit?

NY Times and CNN are already using Twitter to post links to latest headlines. Since there is a 140 character limit, services like TinyURL are a must. This is one way that journalists can alert readers, but there is potential for so much more than merely posting links. Twitter has the ability to add a whole new dimension to journalism.

Writing an article takes time, a luxury not afforded in the news business. Reporters covering a live event, such as a party convention, want the news distributed swiftly. Why not send a series of mini-articles from a phone while gathering information for that big story? These mini-articles can be sent instantly to the reporter’s site. Followers can also opt to receive the news over IM, widgets, etc. in real time. The journalist can even take reader-submitted questions as well.

I know I have only scratched the surface here, but I also want to outline some of the downsides. Say a news company sends 100 tweets a day with links to new articles. Followers might grow quickly turned off. Consider that bulletin-clogging myspace friend (we get it, you posted a new a pic in one of your 60 albums!!!) as an analogy. Cell phone users might find a surprise in their bill depending on data restrictions. Then you also need to consider how you’ll continue to generate interest over time, as gauging Twitter’s effect on your site traffic is difficult.

Given Twitter continues on its hot streak (and with our ever declining attention spans, I don’t see that happening soon), I’m sure we will see some really cool applications for Twitter coming out this year. I’d really like to see the option to send a hyperlink Tweet directly from the CMS when a blog is published. Not that I would do that here, but a report may. Really though, it is wide open.