Federal election, death of Bin Laden
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Experts on the federal election
Voters across Canada are off to the polls to cast their votes today. For a list of SFU experts who can provide comment on everything from the results to polls and voter turnout, see http://at.sfu.ca/CoYTPR
News of Bin Laden’s death
Was it a tweet or a news clip? Many who learned last night about the death of terrorist Osama Bin Laden followed the events on social media while others watched them on CNN, and many did both. “This is what we are coming to expect nowadays - people witnessing and participating in global conversations about events through a number of media platforms,” says communication professor Peter Chow-White. “By many accounts, Twitter 'broke' the story first. It’s a case of traditional media outlets reporting on the story after social media users.”
Reports that there were 4,000 tweets per second during President Obama's announcement shows that people are not satisfied simply watching news any longer, Chow-White says. “They want to make news and discuss it between friends and colleagues both locally and globally. As I mentioned in one of my own tweets last night, the growing crowd outside the gates of the White House is just like the growing conversation on social media. People want to interact and connect, either in person or virtually, discuss, and participate in important events, similar to the Royal Wedding or the federal election in Canada today.”
Peter Chow-White, 778.782.7289, 604.603.3794 (cell); petercw@sfu.ca
Impact of Bin Laden’s death on war on terrorism
SFU historian and security strategist Andre Gerolymatos is following the aftermath of news that long-sought terrorist Osama Bin Laden has been killed and buried at sea. He can provide comment on what his death means for the U.S. and the world.
Andre Gerolymatos, 604.728.2712 (cell); 778.782.5597 (office); andre_gerolymatos@sfu.ca