Monday, May 2, 2011

Expectations of social media and law

BIn Laden is dead.

And yet again, the major news outlets didn't break the news first.

People around the Pakistan area where the raid was going down were the first to report the event. They didn't nkow they were covering via Twitter, but the information was there.

THen the news came to America, and somehow a former Bush advisor got word Osama was killed. Who told him I don't know, but it's a demonstration of the intricate game of telephone that goes down when some incredible news emerges.

But then what happens when that news 'leaks'? We want to charge Wikileaks for the potential consequences of leaking sensitive documents. But what about a stupid Bush aid who 'leaks' info about the Bin Laden death on Twitter?

He was the initial source that major news outlets used.

Two things

a) I wonder if there's a consequence for tweeting; the law certainly hasn't caught up in many respects to th enature of social media.

b) How much of the story, the sensationalized story, can we trust?

Either way, one thing is for sure, the world is certainly a safer place now that we've rid ourselves of the parasite who essentially despised humanity as a fundamental level.

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