![MCBL00420_0000[1]](http://www.brianmanzullo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/MCBL00420_00001.gif "MCBL00420_0000[1]")
A little before 2 p.m. today, an earthquake (epicenter near Ottawa and Montreal) seemed to shake Michigan, mostly the eastern side of the state. That’s where I happen to be right now, visiting family.
I didn’t feel it, probably because I was driving home when it supposedly happened but, as soon as I read about it on Twitter, I looked for more information.
Here are some of the things I found, mainly from Michigan media, within a span of 40 minutes following the tremors:
- AnnArbor.com was among the first on it. Along with updates on its Twitter, it posted a story and a map of the epicenter, but also incorporated a Twitter feed searching for “earthquake.” That’s a great way to centralize content and conversation on its site.
- The Detroit News Twitter account started simply with this: “Did anyone else feel that?” It would be retweeted nine times (as of me writing this post). However, its site update doesn’t link. (At least not as of 3:07 p.m.)
- MLive.com, initiated by the Grand Rapids Press, posted a story with a lot of aggregation. One of my first thoughts following the quake: Does that happen a lot in Michigan? They were right on top of it with a link. (Michigan’s earthquake history here, thanks to a good friend of mine, Justin Engel)
- The Detroit Free Press had a story online with some aggregation at 2:07 p.m. It would later update on Twitter and Facebook, asking followers what they felt.
- The Globe and Mail in Toronto is all over it, too. There’s a story, a Twitter feed, a live blog and even a Google Map with the epicenter marked. (Have I ever mentioned that Google Maps is still one of the most underused widgets on news sites?)
My favorite part: in the live blog, someone posted a video in the aftermath of the quake, from Ottawa. That happens when you build a strong community around you.
Overall, despite the earthquake being such an unexpected event, it’s nice to see a lot of media around me pick up the story, run with it and think of other ways to incorporate reader discussion. We might forget about this quake a month from now (assuming nothing else happens), but the important thing is readers were talking about it. And they probably will throughout the rest of the day. Progress!
Posted by Brian Manzullo at June 23, 2010
Journalism, Social Media