Tweeting Death
Sure, Twitter is a universal tool that allows you to use it in whatever way best serves you – follow friends, interact with people with similar interests, network, market your product, etc. It also serves as a relatively open platform for you to share your thoughts, opinions, interests and in some cases, information about your job to your fellow Tweeple.
And in the case of Mark Shurtleff, Utah’s attorney general, he felt it was appropriate to announce a murderer’s execution on Twitter (Twitter.com/MarkShurtleff). Last Thursday, he offered his 7,800+ followers tweets as to the progress of the state’s most recent execution finally saying: “I just gave the go ahead to Corrections Director to proceed with Gardner’s execution. May God grant him the mercy he denied his victims.”
The media has been abuzz, some calling Shurtleff’s Tweet a very modern way to announce a very old-fashioned punishment and as a result, Twitter has morphed into platform beyond following your favorite celebrity – it’s now a court of public opinion.
With Twitter being used for so many communications of an immediate nature, it is surprising that an attorney general might choose to use it to communicate such professional ‘updates?’ What are some other unexpected fields of professionals that are using Twitter to provide updates?
Tags: Mark Shurtleff, twitter
