Go to Twitter for the full gamut of reaction to the Royal Wedding Announcement. Here we have the excellent, but slightly cynical Paul Waugh from PoliticsHome looking out for the internment of uncomfortable policy announcements. Meanwhile, the rest of Real Britain rejoices.
It seems to me that Twitter, like most social networking sites, is now becoming much more representative of the general population. More liberal-leaning metro-media types pioneered the micro-blogger, but now there are also networks of teachers, medics, and as the above response to the Wedding shows, Royalists and Sex Toy Saleswomen.
It’s going to be a very social media Royal Wedding. Like the election debates, it will be TV that gets the big audiences but it will be the online networks that feel the buzz. A lot of it will be tongue-in-cheek, some of it downright hostile. Everyone will get a chance to have their say, regardless of the official or mass media coverage.
Never thought I would say this, but in that sense, I am looking forward to this. God Save The Queen!
That’s pretty sarcastic but not without a point. I think you’re right about how social media has made anyone with a computer and a social networking account to get him/herself heard in the World Wide Web. Aren’t we living in the flat world these days? I think I’ll send my wishes then.
Sarcastic? Only the God Save The Queen bit. And that was meant benignly.
I really do think this could be a good example of how social media shows us that people can enjoy things at different levels and in different ways. The public are not all sheep or homogenous.
There have been a number of good articles published by the likes of Twitter and Facebook on social media’s uptake during the royal wedding, and this one by monitoring company Brandwatch which sheds fun insight: http://www.brandwatch.com/2011/05/social-media%E2%80%99s-favourite-royal-wedding-guests/