The birth of microjournalism
February 3, 2008 · Filed Under Cool stuff, Great Ideas, Innovation, election, Politics
Journalists are increasingly finding new ways to use Twitter, the microblogging application, and now it’s becoming more common on the campaign trail.
The New York Times takes a look some examples, crediting the evolution of this form of journalism to Slate’s John Dickerson when he sent the following in January: “NASHUA: Just saw Bill O’reily misbehaving at Obama rallly. Shoving Obama staffer.”
Microjournalism is the latest step in the evolution of Mr. Dickerson, who worked for years at Time magazine, and has moved from print to online articles to blog entries to text messages no longer than 140 characters, or about two sentences. “One of the things we are supposed to do as journalists is take people where they can’t go,” he said in an interview. “It is much more authentic, because it really is from inside the room.”
Some might consider the idea of a barrage of text-messaged snippets about the presidential election the final dreadful realization of the news media’s obsession with “sound bites.” And spending time with the Twittered campaign reporting can mean wallowing in skin-deep observations, anonymous trashing of candidates and more than you would want to know about the food and travel conditions for the reporting class.
But it is genuine, and at times enlightening.
Check out his and other campaign reporters’ Twitter feeds:
