RTDNA@NAB 2010: When to use Twitter as a source

The discussion continues at social media and blogging forum at RTDNA@NAB with the question: “When and how do you use Twitter as a source?” One example: Don Blankenship tweets. He is the CEO of Massey Energy, the company that owns the West Virginia coal mine where the disaster happened last week. His tweets have been frequent and thoughtful. But in the early stages, how do you know it’s actually the real guy? LR has often pointed to Twitter as an excellent source for early information – but only in the same way that the scanners are sources. Twitter presents a place to start, not a lone source to use for reporting.