Citizen Journalism and Twitter

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Brad Heap

For the second time in a week New Zealand is sitting under a Tsunami watch.

What is interesting is the rising power of Twitter and Citizen Journalists in reporting the news much faster than the mainstream media (MSM), in fact today I was the one who tipped off NZ Herald regarding the Tsunami alert.

This was the first tweet that I received regarding the Tsunami it is from someone who works in the pacific tsunami warning centre:

Clicking on the link, and checking with the USGS Earthquake website I realised that the earthquake was huge and had just happened. So out I tweet to my 100 or so followers on twitter and cross posted the news to facebook, before then posting a direct message to NZ Herald. Here is the stream of responses (remember the higher the list the newer the post, my post is at the bottom):

From this the NZ Herald website was updated:

Then out comes the Civil Defense warning:

Then the rest of the news site begin to follow up:

In the past you had to stay tuned to your radios, tvs etc waiting for the news sites to tell you what was happening, now it appears the tables have turned and joe public seems to be informing the news media of breaking news much faster than they can report it.

Tsunami Tidal Surge at Long Bay

Posted on September 30, 2009 by Brad Heap

This evening I went up to Long Bay at the high tide to see the disturbed water at high tide, I was not disappointed.

Tsunami Wave at Tutukaka

Posted on September 30, 2009 by Brad Heap

Check out this video of the water rushing out of the marina at Tutukaka in Northland.

Nothing serious may have happened, but that is scary.

Best Tsunami Response Comment

Posted on September 30, 2009 by Brad Heap

Can you imagine the near orgasmic state of the civil defence leaders as their pagers or cell phones went off this morning.

All over the east coast of NZ bearded men in walk shorts and long socks would have leapt to attention full of self importance, their partners would have asked them if they had time for breakfast, “no, we have an emergency” would have been the well practised reply.

Thermos’s would have been hurriedly filled, cut sandwiches would have been cobbled together and high visibility vests and hard hats donned as they walked briskly (no sense in placing ones self in danger by running) to their Lada’s.

The drive to civil defence headquarters would have been made at just over the speed limit (102km per hour), headlights would have been blazing, the radio’s would be tuned to national radio looking for updates, and thoughts of “I live for this” would fill their heads, as they arrived at headquarters they would again walk briskly up the stairs before grabbing hold of their favourite clipboard.

One can almost see the disappointment on their faces when the news came in that the approaching tidal wave was only 1 meter in height.

Posted by Big Bruv at Kiwiblog (http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2009/09/tsunami_warning.html#comment-613162)