Where We Live: #TweetTheNews

Ms. Ubinas is doing her job

Not only is Helen Ubinas a great writer but she gets it. Today’s news environment is instantaneous. The 24-news cycle died years ago. And yes, while we all like and appreciate stories that provide context and analysis, the reality is the new and next generation of Courant readers is expecting all those stories AND instant, up-to-the-minute news feeds on big breaking stories like the Petit trial. The Courant is responding to what it believes many of its subscribers want and expect and doing it as responsibly as it can as it adopts this dynamic new tool called Twitter. Helen is doing her job - reporting the facts, putting her readers/followers inside the courtroom and doing it well. I think Kelly McBride from The Poynter Institute said it best – Twitter is an opt-in technology. People like me who are news junkies and get sucked into the trial detail and drama appreciate Twitter’s immediacy and unfiltered access to news. If people want more sterilized facts, they can buy a newspaper and go the more traditional route.

I also feel that defendants

I also feel that defendants need competent counsel and I try to refrain from tagging their counsel as slime. However... Hayes' attorney knew that the jailhouse conversation was one lie after another and yet he chose to introduce it. He chose to inflict further injury on the Petit family. It reminds me of when Richard Allen Davis, who murdered 12 year old Polly Klass made a heinous claim about her father at sentencing. So Mr. Ullman is a despicable person after all and kudos to Ms Ubinas for having the courage to call things as she sees them.

Helen Ubinas is not a

Helen Ubinas is not a journalist. She is a blogger with a tremendous amount of anger.

twittling my thumbs

Great show. I do wonder whether twitter actually brings people to Helen's blog, where readers are supposed to see the ads her employer is selling. If it's arriving on people's phones, I'm guessing the ads are going unseen.

Ms. Ubinas' comments

Actually I found Ms. Ubinas' side comments very human in a situation that is unhuman. Her comments bring reality into her tweets and really make you feel you are witnessing the trial in person. Putting a face to the Tweeter makes this horrible situation bearable.

Listener Email from Hilary

I've been following the Hayes trial on Twitter because I wanted to see if it gave me more complete information than if I simply read about it at the end of the day. And it has given me more complete information, but there is much we can do without. What bothers me most is the unnecessary editorializing. Yesterday, Ms. Ubinas made a critical comment about Hayes' defense attorney while he was cross-examining a witness. We all may hate Stephen Hayes and feel terrible for the Petits, but there is such a thing in this country as due process of law. EVERYONE has a right to a defense, and the job of a defense attorney includes using cross-examination to challenge the state's case where it can be challenged.

All you need to do is look the comments section of the Courant online to see that folks are horrifically unaware of this simple, basic American concept.