The Tweet Heard Round the World–Information Races in the Digital Age

The Tweet Heard Round the World–Information Races in the Digital Age

Don’t undervalue the power of social media; the growing presence of technology in our culture has information–and misinformation–flowing lightning fast. The Associated Press (AP) had their Twitter account hacked at 1:07 p.m. on April 24; hackers used the profile to tweet, “Breaking: Two Explosions in the White House and Barack Obama is injured.\”

An immediate response was seen on Wall Street, where the Dow Jones industrial average and other indexes plummeted fast.

While hacking is a serious issue, especially when it concerns a business profile, this hoax did more damage than just start a faux buzz.

As the Associated Press and the White House did some damage control; Wall Street and stockbrokers alike breathed a collective sigh of relief as stocks rebounded quickly as correct information was disseminated. It actually ended as a positive day for the market, the Dow ended the day up 152 points to 14,719.

This is a wake up call for anyone who doesn’t think social media has any effect on their business. You CAN reach a large amount of people quickly through social media, let’s just hope it’s with the right information!