Friday, November 28, 2008

Citizen Journalists Told To Stop Using Twitter To Update On Bombay Attacks

From Times Online:

News on the Bombay attacks is breaking fast on Twitter with hundreds of people using the site to update others with first-hand accounts of the carnage.

The website has a stream of comments on the attacks which is being updated by the second, often by eye-witnesses and people in the city. Although the chatter cannot be verified immediately and often reflects the chaos on the streets, it is becoming the fastest source of information for those seeking unfiltered news from the scene.

In the past hour, people using Twitter reported that bombings and attacks were continuing, but none of these could be confirmed. Others gave details on different locations in which hostages were being held.

And this morning, Twitter users said that Indian authorities was asking users to stop updating the site for security reasons:

Read more ....

My Comment: I have to agree with the Indian authorities on this one. I posted yesterday a number of links to sites that were updating (by the minute) what was happening on the ground in Mumbai. After I published the post, I immediately felt that there was something wrong with this type of reporting .... especially when operations against these murderers were ongoing.

So .... I want everyone to know that I am censoring some of the information that crosses my desk. But I must also confess that this is something that is not new. For example .... on numerous occasions I have come across a considerable amount of information that can be detrimental to coalition forces in Iraq or Afghanistan. Pictures of informers, translators, the slip from a reporter on the scene that he posts in his blog .... etc.. This type of info has always been put into the trash bin. I can now say the same on what is happening in Mumbai.

P.S. I sleep well at night .... a condition that I will always want to maintain.

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