I would have to agree with comedian Richard Herring that this Monday was another fine example of how Twitter is having a marked effect on traditional media.
The furore kicked off thanks to an online Guardian article about modern comedy and how it has become more acceptable to make offensive or often racist jokes. Despite not knowing the work of all the comedians mentioned, even I got the initial impression that there was a lack of context which meant the piece was pointing fingers – a fine line to walk when it comes to such sensitive topics. In true Twitter form it was only an hour or so until one of the accused comedians, Richard Herring, was spreading his outrage at being misquoted and being portrayed as racist.
It was interesting to see people’s perspective of what a ‘respected broad sheet’ means in terms of journalism compared to a tabloid as the fact that the article came from the Guardian certainly heightened the anger. Numerous blogs and tweets were up within 24 hours in support of the wrongly quoted comedians. With the eyes and tweets of the world now in motion, no journalist is excused for quick or sloppy research. With Richard Herring’s response letter being printed in the Guardian tomorrow, surely Twitter has again proved its worth past telling people what you’re having for lunch in 140 characters.
You can read the full Guardian article here: www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2009/jul/27/comedy-standup-new-offenders
and Richard Herring’s response here:
www.richardherring.com/warmingup/warmingup.php?id=2460
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