Some observers say Twitter — a micro-blogging site where users post 140-character messages — has become a hotbed of unnecessary hype and misinformation about the outbreak, which is thought to have claimed more than 100 lives in Mexico.

“This is a good example of why [Twitter is] headed in that wrong direction, because it’s just propagating fear amongst people as opposed to seeking actual solutions or key information,” said Brennon Slattery, a contributing writer for PC World. “The swine flu thing came really at the crux of a media revolution.”

This really pressed my buttons. I’m a pro-Twitter social media enthusiast (clearly been in DC for too long if I am describing myself as pro-Twitter…) I also write about global health. I spent the morning aggregating news about the swine flu (apparently not actually swine flu) situation, and I also tweeted about it.

Some thoughts:

It’s a Cocktail Party, Not a News Conference

I understand why people turn to Twitter for news. It’s a comfortable space. You select who you follow and only click on the links that REALLY interest you. However, just because someone links it or tweets it doesn’t mean it’s fact. You’ve probably heard the analogy: Twitter’s like a cocktail party, you can choose which conversation you listen to and decide when you want to participate. When describing the site, I find that this holds up pretty well. So if what you’re doing on Twitter is selectively listening to and participating in conversation, then the level of authority of the information you receive on the site depends on who is saying it – Twitter is not a news source, but news is available on the site.

People who have always been savvy news consumers get this. As for the rest, a new medium means a new learning curve. So give it time, and people will begin to rely on Twitter more appropriately.

With Twitter, People Misunderstand in Public

During pandemics and other situations that cause widespread concern, people panic and rumors start. Before Twitter, people were getting this information from somewhere else. They were also sharing the information differently and there was probably the same level of misunderstanding, the difference now is that they’re tweeting and re-tweeting it, and it’s public and searchable . This actually might be a good thing, because it allows information to address public misunderstandings more accurately and quickly. For instance, Twitter highlighted which swine flu rumors were gaining traction. CNN writes:

Unofficial swine flu information on Twitter may lead people to unwise decisions, said Evgeny Morozov, a fellow at the Open Society Institute and a blogger on ForeignPolicy.com.

For example, some Twitter users told their followers to stop eating pork, he said. Health officials have not advised that precaution

Enter News 2.0

Al Tompkins of the Poynter Institute is right. In the article, he said, “That information needs to be put in context by journalists, especially given the fact that so many deaths from the common flu occur each year and go underreported by the news media.”

But that’s really only where it begins.

Modern journalists need to help people navigate information overload, sift through the garbage, and identify great information. They should also be expanding on the story. The decentralization of news gives us the opportunity to pursue really interesting angles. In this regard, the Web is actually a gift to journalism. Content is exploding, allowing journalists to do what they do best – vet, think, create and explain. Questions about what type of shape and model this sort of journalism will take on are relevant, but they’re also the substance of a seperate discussion.

As I read through the article, it continually proved the need for news organizations to intimately engage with social media. When crises do happen (and even when they don’t) new organizations must have the infrastructure in place to speak with a loud, authoritative voice. They need to have the networks in place to cut through the chatter and reach people who might not always read their content. Otherwise we’ll keep reading articles like this one, which really just describes the misuse of a tool.

Image: Matt Hamm/Flickr

Here’s what led me to think about the new commonalities between journalists and actors:

Observation 1 – Both actors and journalists are frustrated that there are lots of people who are untrained in their lines of work and often willing to do it for free.

I recently attended a taping of The Kalb Report . This specific episode, titled “Down to the Wire: Journalism in Crisis,” featured a panel of news executives from CNN, NPR, the AP and the Knight Foundation. Discussion focused on the future of journalism, the impact of the economic crisis on journalism and other current uncertainties (transcript here). During the question and answer session, a Medill graduate said he feels a “little bit like an actor who’s watched reality stars take over prime time TV. They don’t do it as well as [professional actors] do, but they do it for free.”

Photo: gruntzooki/Flickr

Ultimately he asked the panel for advice for people who are trying to to break into journalism. The NPR executive’s response made journalism sound even more like acting, alluding to images of the “starving artist.” Vivian Schiller, the president and CEO of NPR, said, “Well, don’t give up. I mean, the good news– I mean, the bad news is you’re going to have trouble eating, as Tom said, for the next few years.”

Observation 2 – It’s becoming more common to see journalists taking flexible or part-time jobs that allow them to pay the bills while they pursue their passion.

A friend who would like to work in journalism started following me on Twitter. This friend is also a Medill graduate — an interesting coincidence because it says a lot if graduates of one of the best and most well-known journalism schools in the country aren’t finding jobs in the industry. When I clicked on her Twitter page , I was taken aback by the blunt characterization of her professional activities in her bio. It reads, “Journalist in theory…Barista in practice.”

Her story certainly isn’t unique — just read this recent “Ask the Recruiter” question about transitioning from waiting tables to reporting on politics. In the answer, Joe Grim, notices the same thing I’m writing about here. “You sound like an actor on his way to Hollywood — not that there’s anything wrong with that,” he writes. Others are doing things differently in an effort to get them closer to securing a journalism job.

Regardless of the route, many journalists, like actors, are holding out for that dream of getting full-time work in their desired field. Of course, some have decided to leave journalism altogether to pursue other career paths. The creator of angryjournalist.com — Kiyoshi Martinez, a brilliant journalist now working in public affairs — is one such example. But that’s the subject of a separate post.