On November 26 2008, terrorists from the Pakistan-based militant organisation, Lashkar-e-Taiba held Mumbai hostage for more than 60 hours across 10 prominent locations. They killed 179 people and wounded 308. It was one of the most destructive ever terror attacks in India and it has caused irreparable damage to the most populous city in India.
The attacks were a grim reminder of the constant threat of terrorism the world faces. The media also faces difficulties in covering events so widespread and spontaneous such as this one. So it was important that the Mumbai terror attacks was a major milestone in citizen journalism. Twitter, the text-based microblogging service announced its arrival as a major player in citizen journalism. Other social networking sites such as photo-sharing database, Flickr and personal blogs were also crucial in providing live news and information.
Amidst the mayhem and chaos in Mumbai from November 26-29, Twitter became the best source for real time news during the attacks. All people had to do was type in #Mumbai to search for live developments. No international media even covered the first six hours of the attacks. Indian television and radio were reliant on eyewitness accounts. Even when international media outlets arrived on the scene, the scale of the attacks made it difficult to provide timely and comprehensive reports.
In contrast Twitter made it possible for news to be delivered fast and effectively from a variety of geographical locations. At the height of the attacks, there were 80 ‘tweets’ being sent to Twitter every five seconds. Due to the large dependence on social media, the New York Times labelled this the most documented terror attack ever. Twitter not only provided breaking news but was also used as an information tool for family and friends of those held hostage. Trapped hotel guests also used Twitter and SMS technology to get in touch with loved ones.
Without the spectacular growth in the telecommunications sector in India since 1994, it is doubtful whether social media would have played such a large part in covering the Mumbai terror attacks. Currently, India is home to the fastest growing middle class population in the world and they are benefiting most from the ‘Dotcom revolution.’
India has a growing perception of being a major power in the digital age. So is it not surprising that it has the fifth largest telecommunications sector in the world and the third largest in Asia only behind China and South Korea. Western countries, in particular America and Australia are providing more and more IT outsourcing as India continues to thrive in the digital age.
The most important legislation in the telecommunication sector was the ‘National Telecom Policy’ announced in May 1994. The premise behind this was to break down the dominance of public telecom companies. The legislation has certainly worked and currently private companies own 40 per cent of market share with that figure tipped to increase according to US International Trade Commission. Demand for cellular and Internet services is growing at 100 per cent per annum – one of the fastest growing rates in the world. There are two key reasons for this. Firstly the large rural and underdeveloped regions of India have a lot of catching up to do. Secondly, the emergence of private companies has led to all time low prices.
Mobile technology still dominates the telecom sector. There was an increase in mobile subscribers from 10 million in 2002 to 350 million in 2009. However during the terror attacks, mobile and fixed-line circuits were clogged due to high levels of activity so the Internet became an alternative medium for communication. These economic and government factors were essential in getting social media where it is today.
Twitter’s coverage of the Mumbai terror attacks was undoubtedly a breakthrough in citizen journalism in India. Now every citizen can assume the responsibility of being a reporter. Take Arun Shanbhag for example;
The Harvard Medical School professor was in South Mumbai at the time of the attacks, across the road from the Taj Mahal Palace and the Tower Hotel. He described every blast and gunshot in his twitter account. Shanbhag says he felt a responsibility to share his view with the outside world. Shanbhag’s first tweet was: “Taj Hotel is a block from my house! Hostages still inside; still burning; smoke is pouring from windows; pics later.” It is doubtful mainstream media can provide such personal and emotive details that reflect the tragic situation. CNN picked up on Shanbag’s incredible story:
Twitter was also beneficial to the general public in other aspects. There was a togetherness in the Indian community that had never been seen before. Many twitter users sent pleas to blood donors to make their way to specific hospitals in Mumbai. Others tweeted information about helplines and other useful telephone numbers. Twitter also distributed links to other social media such as Flickr. Vinukumar Ranganathan was the most high profile blogger during the attacks. Twitter showed the world Ranganathan’s first-hand accounts via his blogs and Flickr.
So what does the future hold for Twitter?
There is an increasing need for social media as well as mainstream media to cover events. But there has to be a balance. As discussed previously, Twitter offers many positive aspects. However it has there are shortcomings like any other form of social media. For example, early tweets during the terror attacks reported that bombs went off at the Marriot Hotel which was not the case. There were also tweets perpetuating rumours that the Indian government had asked people to stop tweeting and compromising the security effort.
The information on Twitter is not verified and the sources cannot be trusted. It is ‘news’ but not ‘journalism’ as it does not offer context or balance. Twitter should be used together with mainstream media, not as an alternative to it.
References
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