In the wake of Hurricane Irene, everyone all over the country is looking for news and updates about the weather, shelters, and other emergency issues.
With power outages and bad radio reception, it can be difficult to find out the latest news.
This creates a need to find alternative news outlets, and Twitter has become an unlikely news source.
Here are some of the ways that Twitter keeps people all over the world informed:
It’s real news from people in real time
It’s much easier to stay up-to-date on the latest news with a social media site, like Twitter since you can pretty much get a bird’s eye view from people that are experiencing the situation first hand.
Sharing important and useful tips
When an emergency situation or natural disaster comes up like this, the cell phone lines can become jammed, but everyone can still stay in touch via text message or Twitter feed.
Using social media is a great way to share important ideas and tips, like finding a car battery and turning off unnecessary applications helps to extend the life of your cellphone battery.
The first to know of national updates and changes
This update by Mike Bloomberg is very important since it keeps the 911 emergency lines open for urgent calls and redirects other necessities to the right place.
Some people don’t value social media sites as being a capable news outlet, but one of the most important new stories of our time was broken on Twitter; The death of Osama Bin Laden.
Twitter is an unlikely source for keeping people informed but as you can see here, it’s become a very vital part of our lives.
Please share the ways Twitter or other social media sites have helped keep you up-to-date and informed during a crucial time.
Photo Credit: ElvertBarnes
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