Davidcard[Posted by David Card]

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If you're reading this in realtime, you really should tune in for a few minutes. This is big like Princess Di or OJ or Obama.

A couple of observations on the media phenomenon:

  • If this were a few years ago, it would be AOL and Yahoo leading the
    online coverage. Now, it's the broadcast news networks and CNN. AOL
    links to TMZ and Yahoo to ABC.com. Changing of the guard?
  • I am more than a little skeptical of UGC's "value" for news coverage (outside of local), but the Facebook feed integrated with the CNN video stream – a la Obama acceptance speech – is wonderful. Much more valuable than the lame CNN commentary (Lou Ferrigno interview??), you get the full spectrum of respect, sadness, and snark. Probably in a mix representative of the mass audience.
  • ABC and CBS are doing the Facebook feed thing, too. All have banner ads but no video ads. CNN's is a house promo right now. ABC and CBS are better at providing links to other relevant content including video from earlier in the day. NBC-MSNBC and Fox News are just streaming.
  • It may be the way CNN is programming it, but it appears there is more action on Facebook than on Twitter. Another guard-changing?

Whatever you think of Michael Jackson as an artist, a person, or a celebrity, you can't deny he has a huge global following. Growing up in the South, I observe only that he was the first black popstar that tween white girls could like, too.