Reddit Becomes Prime News Source For Aurora Shootings
As the horrible news out of Aurora, Colorado unfolded in the early hours of Friday, the social network Reddit might have seemed like an unlikely source of breaking news. But it is part of a growing trend of social media becoming the go-to spot for many seeking details on developing stories.
Denver teen Morgan Jones, who goes by the username Int3ger, posted the first news of the shooting to Reddit, and continued to post information and answer questions the best he could long into the night. Jones aggregated reports from news broadcasts, social media, and a police scanner. His original post eventually became several, all under the title “Comprehensive Timeline: Aurora Massacre.”
The sudden journalist told Buzzfeed he just wanted to help.
“This whole thing has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me,” he says, “but it’s liberating to be able to inform so many people so rapidly.”
Reddit also hosted posts from users claiming to be victims of the shooting, including one who uploaded graphic photos of his injuries.
Social media users also scooped traditional media earlier this week in the aftermath of the Danzig Street shootings in Toronto. Redditor “BitchslappedbyLogic” complied a rather extensive list of the persons involved in/affected by the shooting and their reactions, based entirely on material found on Twitter.
Similarly, a recent Pew study found that more and more viewers are turning to YouTube for breaking news.
