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The Twittering Machine (1922)-Paul Klee
The news has been covering the testy exchange between Obama and CNN’s Ed Henry. Henry asked a series of questions, including one of why the Obama himself wasn’t immediately outraged about the AIG bonuses. Barack responded by saying he likes to know what he’s talking about before he speaks. Sure, the press is covering it, but the press is also covering how Twitterers are reacting to these stories and video clips.
You can see for yourself by searching on Twitter: Obama Ed Henry. On Wednesday, March 25, as of 11:44 EDT, the responses were trending towards Obama, with many tweets using the term “smackdown.”
There are nuances of communication that are more in the open now more than ever. The ability for Web 2.0 multimedia to be shared quickly can help to provide context for these exchanges, as well as providing users with a fora for getting their views out there. I would even argue that these technologies can even gauge the American zeitgeist to a certain extent.
Last night on CNN on Anderson Cooper, Ed Henry gave his side of the exchange on the AIG outrage matter:
I thought it was funny that at the end AC quipped, “you can nurse your wounds tonight, Ed.”
Will these 2.0 technologies (like Twitter) create both challenges and opportunities in future PR battles? Undoubtedly. (Will PR turn into pwn relations in certain circles?) It will be interesting to see how the use of these technologies evolves over time.
Comments 7
abutler — March 25, 2009
The increase of web 2.0 technology, I think marketers will be forced to be more creative. To answer the question will they create challenges and opprtunities for the PR world, I think it will create more opportunities. Sites such as twitter give marketers a chance to be authentic, transparent, and creative with their target market.These techonologies are every marketers dream. They force companies to interact and experiment with there costumers. Also, it makes people more accessible. The only challenge will be for old marketers to step out of the box and start getting creative with the new world.
jose — March 26, 2009
A "smackdown," really! I wonder how much of that language is constructed by "tweeters" to increase traffic to their sites.
Kenneth M. Kambara — March 26, 2009
Tonight, the tweets are calling Henry an epic jerk. It seems like there is a social contagion with respect to the "disses." Maybe by the morning we'll see "Ed Henry's mama is so ___, she..."
ellemac — March 26, 2009
The epic nature of his jerkitude was undoubtedly confirmed by his own precious re-telling of the battle of wits. Check his overcompsnsating, dorkmeister account of his brush with news fame on CNN (sorry, I would link but I am pecking this out on my iTouch).
Kenneth M. Kambara — March 28, 2009
elle::
I'm not sure if you mean this story, but I've seen plenty of mugging by Henry to get his side across.
It was meant to be a confrontational question. "In yo' face, Barack!" The tone mirrored this. I love how he's constructing this as part of some strategy. What else can he do, really? The question I have is whether the one who pwns or the one who is pwned is called a pwner. I just wanted to write pwner because it's fun to say.
José::
I think you're on to something. The contagion uses language to drive traffic, which also drives the frenzy and causes stuff to go mental, I mean viral.
ab::
You're absolutely right and I'm really hoping a new wave of creativity is unleashed by the new technologies. I still wonder how organizations will adjust to a Web 2.0 world, particularly as they manage risk, protect strategic assets, and develop and utilize their data. The nature of value is shifting, but I'm not sure a lot of firms and organizations "get it," because they pay lip service to Web 2.0, but many don't truly embrace it with the full implications.
ellemac — March 28, 2009
The one who pwns is the pwner; the one who is pwned is a peener.
(FYI, peener is also loads of fun to say.)
Kenneth M. Kambara — March 29, 2009
elle::
I did catch that peener and load were in the same sentence.