Murder Trial Twittered

A reporter in the US has used Twitter to publish constant updates from a murder trial.

Wichita Eagle journalist Ron Sylvester issued the microblog posts from inside the courtroom using a mobile phone and small keyboard, reports Journalism.co.uk.

Users could then directly access the mini reports on a dedicated Twitter account feed or via the Eagle’s website.



Sylvester blogged throughout the trial and has published over 1,000 updates covering jury selection, testimonies and the verdict.

The interactive journalist said this alternative form of court reporting enables people to follow the case at their leisure.

Although such coverage would not be possible in the UK where mobile phones are disallowed from courtrooms, Journalism.co.uk considers the legal implications of microblogging a trial in this article.