MATT-ROBINSON.UK

It would seem a Twitter revolution is happening.

With the Chinese New Year being celebrated across London on Sunday it would seem we should be celebrating the year of the ‘tweet’ rather than the year of the Ox.

Initially sceptical to the social networking site, I have to confess that I have become increasingly addicted in the past few months.

As an aspiring journalist, I understand the importance of breaking news and communicating on the web. Never before has it been so important. Whether you love it or hate it – twitter offers those possibilities.

It was therefore incredibly eye-opening to listen to Robin Hamman lecture last week at City University, on the uses of social media not only in researching stories but in developing contacts and unearthing the latest news.

However, concerns of privacy and accuracy are still very topically. In a world now where everything is online we are open to new dangers, but as Robin Hamman described, we control our online profile, through our tweets, blogs and Flickr accounts. Whilst these dangers are around us, the opportunities for improved communication are endless. My biggest concern is that Twitter becomes so exposed that its purpose and current benefits will disappear.

I raise this becuase in recent weeks the media seem to have also fallen in love with Twitter with the likes of  Jonathan Ross and Stephen Fry discussing the site on Friday Night with Jonathon Ross and Phillip Scofield actively tweeting on This Morning

Twitter seems to making the news everyday with the most popular users being named today and Demi Moore failing to understand the power of the site this looks set to continue.

Only time will tell what the future holds but for the time being I urge fellow journalists to embrace the revolution and use the site as a fundamental component to reaching out to a greater part of society.

Update 4/02/08

Chris Moyles and Andi Peters now on Twitter it’s dominating Radio 1 this morning.