iPhone and Twitter Make for Fast “News”

Gearlog:

Janis Krums, a tourist in New York City from Sarasota, Florida, took a picture with his iPhone of the US Air flight 1549 crash in the Hudson River this afternoon. Krums, who posted the picture on his Twitter account, @jkrums, was speaking live as a witness on MSNBC within minutes of capturing the image.

Without a doubt, the iPhone (and other smartphones) have increased the speed news travels and is reported. The question for journalists (and their audiences) is: Are first-hand accounts like this actually “news.” My answer is no, but people like Janis Krums are increasingly vital in tipping off the news media of breaking events.