Joan Ganz Cooney | 06/30/2009 11:00 pm

Joan Ganz Cooney: Is Facebook and Twitter the Fifth Estate?

In response to: Do you see the technological revolution as negative or positive as a tool in the protests?

I am so out of it when it comes to reportage coming from Twitter and Facebook that I shouldn’t even have an opinion. But I do. I think these tools are mostly positive when it comes to protests and repression. When the press is shut down, these tools provide a means of communicating to the outside world. So even if it is inaccurate and sloppy reporting at times, it is a whole lot better than nothing.

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Yes, that’s what the new technology proved.

By Laura Ward on 07/01/2009 1:17 am

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To some extent I agree, but only in the case of an emergency. To use Twitter to get the information to the right people, not the to the world.

If someone who is not knowledgeable in the situation, and they Twitter something (Like at a crime scene, a gov’t take over) to the masses they could start a riot, death.

Certain information needs to be given to the right people before it’s out there for the world to see.

If you seen an accident while driving you call 911, not twitter to the world that a tractor trailer has over turned, what good is that going to do for the people involved.

If you see a bomb being placed you call the bomb squat, cops, military who ever needs to know, not Twitter, for all you know the terrorist could be getting the message after you send it.

Twitter is good for letting your friends know you’ll be right over, or meet me at the starbucks down the street, but it can also be very dangerous.

By Deniseann Taylor on 07/01/2009 6:19 am

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They can be positive and negative. I guess there is yin and yang with everything. I wonder though and I know it is horrible to say but if something happened and the power grids were down and the Internet couldn’t be accessed are the young people going to have a melt down? They text,twitter, PlayStation,Wii the day away. I just wonder if something happened to all the technology could they survive?

By S G on 07/01/2009 8:17 am

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better than nothing, but not -as I have observed, an equitable information replacement necessary for underpinning a full bodied democracy. random thoughts and cries for help are not researched and investigated journalism. too much of our institutional outlets have already devolved in order to appeal to the lowest denominator of the intellectually and attentive challenged- in direct contradiction of their purpose-to inform and educate. spend an hour in a college classroom and it is no wonder our students are not on par globally- not only unprepared to work hard, also unable to focus, the texting continues all during class- the majority of which is no more substantial than, "this is so boring…."

By georgia g on 07/01/2009 11:29 am