It doesn't take to be embroiled in a celebrity scandal these days. A surprise paparazzi photo, an incriminating voice mail or a leaked sex tape can all put a star in hot water. However, some celebrities and even regular people are getting themselves and others in trouble with the photos they post on Twitter. Here are a few of those gaffes:

Scott Baio v. Michelle Obama

Republican and "Happy Days" star Scott Baio posted the photo below of US First Lady Michelle Obama and added "WOW He wakes up to this every morning." Many Twitter users were enraged and accused Baio of being a racist among other things. Baio shot back, arguing that his wife's best friend was Black and that the photo and comment were only meant to be a joke.

Meghan McCain

Republican pundit and Daily Beast columnist Meghan McCain posted what she thought was an innocent photo of herself holding up a copy of a biography of Andy Warhol and preparing for a "spontaneous night in." Her very present cleavage was too much for some to ignore and many Twitter users blasted her for posting the pic. McCain considered deleting her Twitter account altogether but ultimately just apologized and moved on.

Lindsay Lohan

A low-cut shirt may be tame compared to Lindsay Lohan's topless photo of herself that she snapped and posted to Twitter. While this may not be the most controversial thing Lohan has ever done, it did prompt a shocked reaction from many Twitter users.

NBC's Black History Month menu

Is a menu of fried chicken, collard greens, and cornbread in celebration of Black History Month racist? A large number of Twitter users thought so. After musician and drummer ?uestlove posted a photo of the NBC cafeteria menu to Twitter, many called the offerings insensitive. The menu was later taken down and NBC officials apologized.

Napping transit worker

To be fair, when the transit worker in Toronto took a quick catnap, he probably didn't know that his photo was being taken or that the photo would outrage many of the city's residents. The photo came on the heels of a recent fare and hike and for many the photo symbolized the poor customer service of Toronto Transit employees.


Also on 10,000 Words:

• 10 News photos that took retouching too far
• The top 7 mistakes new Twitter users make
• Landmark moments in citizen journalism

Labels: social networking

The Olympic athletes weren't the only ones working hard during this year's Winter Olympic Games. News organizations around the world created innovative online projects to capture the power and performances at the Games. Here are a few of those gold medal-level projects:

Perhaps the most interesting part of NBC's Olympic coverage was its Olympic Tracker, a tree map of recent tweets about the Olympic Games. The visualization was created by Stamen Design, the company behind MTV's VMA Tweet Tracker and San Francisco Crimespotting.



Many online news media like USA Today and the Los Angeles Times presented many different interactive infographics that explained the sometimes complex winter games and the strength and athleticism required to compete.



The New York Times was on a roll this Winter Games, producing a slew of multimedia and interactive projects, including an awe-inspiring guide to Vancouver's Olympic venues. Notably, the Times' interactive guide to Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili's fatal crash was criticized for offering what some saw as too intimate of a guide to his final moments.

Boston.com's The Big Picture regularly presents amazing photos surrounding a number of subjects and did not disappoint with its collection of images from Vancouver. The large photos capture the majesty of the 2010 Games.



The Google Street View cameras have documented many places around the world and in honor of the Vancouver Olympics, the team used a snowmobile to present views from the top of the mountains in Whistler and allowed users to take a sneak peek inside the Olympic Village.



Fans didn't wait for news media to create coverage they wanted to see. Some took to Facebook to create a page for the Norwegian curling team's unique pants. The Facebook page was taken down briefly, presumably because the page was not dedicated to a company or brand as required by Facebook. However, the page is back up and at last count had more than half a million fans of the colorful pants.



While NBC carried many of the Olympic Games online, the network's US television broadcasts were heavily criticized, mostly because of the network's lack of live television broadcasts. The lesson learned? While yesterday's audiences were comfortable watching events long after they first happened, today's audience wants its news immediately and not just online.


Also on 10,000 Words

• 10 Ways to improve online sports journalism
• How news media covered the 2008 presidential inauguration
• 8 Interactive online projects that educate and captivate

Labels: flash, photos, social networking

How many can you name?


Also on 10,000 Words:

• The top 7 mistakes new Twitter users make
• How to analyze your Twitter followers and friends
• 7 Amazing Twitter visualizations
• Beyond Twitterfeed: Innovative uses of Twitter in the newsroom
• 25 Tools for getting more out of Twitter

Labels: social networking

There was a time when I refused to join Twitter, both because I am suspicious of anything being touted as the next. best. thing. and because I didn't want the site consuming all of my free time. When I finally began using Twitter, it was much in the same way others did: sharing my thoughts and interesting links with other users. It wasn't until I was suddenly laid off from my job that I truly understood the power of the site and social networking.

When I was first laid off from my position at a respected magazine along with a substantial number of other staff members, I was devastated. By then, Twitter had become an integral part of my day and before my supervisor could finish the call I had already tweeted: "I JUST GOT LAID OFF. Anybody have a job?"



Other journalists and colleagues who I had friended over the past several months sent knowing tweets of empathy and support, but had no jobs, only words to offer. I was moved by the support, but after the replies stopped coming, my termination began to feel like a meme: a here today, gone tomorrow event with a sudden and widespread rise in popularity, but forgotten even more quickly. Still, I went about the business of applying for jobs, comforted by the fact that anyone who googled me would find the tweet "Someone should hire Mark Luckie."



I honestly expected to find a new job immediately after being downsized, but weeks turned into months and it became increasingly clear that, despite my unique skills, I wasn't going to find another job as soon as I'd hoped. I felt an unshakable sense of isolation and despair sitting alone in my apartment day after day, so to fight it I threw myself into my blog and ramped up my use of Twitter: talking and sharing ideas with people, most of whom I had never met in person, but who kept me from constantly thinking about my job situation. It was through Twitter that I realized that thousands of journalists were being laid off from newsrooms around the country and that I wasn't alone.

As the months crawled by, it seemed as if I would be unemployed forever. For weeks I considered changing my career to something other than journalism, even though I have an unabashed love and passion for the craft. It was on the days that I was feeling at my lowest that I would still send a tweet about something fascinating I'd seen online. The most casual tweets, often written to take my mind off my situation, were retweeted hundreds of times, which lifted my spirits and made me feel like I still had the natural ability to spread the news.

It was at the point where I was on the verge of shifting my focus to a field other than journalism that a few of my online friends or followers would send a note encouraging me to stick with something I knew and loved. I also was inspired by @RandomtoReason to write the book I've always wanted to write and reminded me why I love journalism in the first place.



It was through Twitter that I ramped up my job search, following users like @themediaishirin who listed journalism jobs I knew I was potentially qualified for. The tweets gave me hope that there were jobs out there, and though I hadn't landed one yet, there did exist.

In the end, it was through a traditional online job board that I discovered the Center for Investigative Reporting and an opening for a multimedia producer position at its new California Watch project. More than most other jobs, I applied knowing that not only could I possibly be free from the shackles of unemployment, but more importantly I would be a part of an innovative organization that had the power to transform what journalism is and can be. Finally, in August 2009, I was hired to become a part of the California Watch team, ending an eight-month span of unemployment.

Over the course of my unemployment, my Twitter account grew from roughly 2,000 followers to more than 5,000, and it was undoubtedly these impressive numbers and a demonstrated knowledge of the power of social media that played a role in my hiring and differentiated me from others with similar skills.

It took being unemployed to really understand how Twitter could be used to foster community and relationships, a community that ushered me through a really dark time. Now I start a new chapter in my life and career with the cumulative knowledge and support of the Twitterverse to help me along the way. I look forward to interacting with many more of the brilliant minds on Twitter and to find even more new and exciting ways of using the service. For me, Twitter will always be both a guardian angel and one kick-ass job placement board.


Also on 10,000 Words:

• 10 Journalists you should follow on Twitter
• How to analyze your Twitter followers and friends
• The top 7 mistakes new Twitter users make
• Beyond Twitterfeed: Innovative uses of Twitter in the newsroom

Labels: social networking

CNN, one of the most watched cable news networks in the US, is not shy about incorporating never-before-used technology into its coverage. Whether its the now iconic "Magic Wall" or the questionably useful live holograms, CNN is using technology today that may be the standard for newsrooms everywhere in the future.

iReport

CNN was one of the first major news networks to actively encourage its users to not just send in tips, but to become the reporters themselves, when it launched iReport in 2008. The site encourages citizen journalists to submit photos, video, and stories, some of which appear on-air and many more appear online. iReport is still going strong and to date has received hundreds of thousands of submissions from around the world.

YouTube Debates

CNN really kicked off its use of innovative technologies during the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Instead of a traditional debate with a news anchor fielding the quesions, the YouTube debates encouraged users of the video-sharing site to submit their own questions for the candidates. While the questions themselves were pre-screened and selected, it did mark an important shift toward the incorporation of user-generated content into a traditional media framework.

The Magic Wall

Likely the most hyped touch screen device since the iPhone, CNN debuted the "Magic Wall" during its 2008 political coverage and used it to display zoomable maps, county-by-county statistics, and the locations of its field reporters. Watching CNN anchors use the Magic Wall was a little like watching other kids playing with a cool toy and while its usefulness was questionable (the technology was parodied by Saturday Night Live), it did bring life to otherwise boring data.

Live Holograms

Reporter Jessica Yellin and Black Eyed Peas frontman/Obama supporter will.i.am were given the Star Wars treatment and beamed into CNN's New York studio to chat live with CNN anchors — even though they were miles away in Chicago. While it technically wasn't a hologram, it did make many jaws drop and helped CNN stand out from an already crowded political news market.

"Balance of Power"

CNN used the holographic technology again earlier that night with a 3D representation of the US Capitol to illustrate how key Senate races could affect the balance of power. Cable news networks often use infographics to synthesize complex data, but not may of them have done so in 3D.

"The Moment"

During the 2009 presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, CNN asked users to send in their photos from the event as Obama was sworn in. More than 600 submissions were combined to create one high-resolution, interactive photo dubbed "The Moment." The incredible photograph was powered by Microsoft's relatively new Photosynth technology and illustrated how crowdsourcing and citizen journalism could be mixed with innovative technology to create a unique and outstanding result.

The Race to 1 Million

When television celebrity Ashton Kutcher challenged CNN to see who could be the first to reach 1 million followers on Twitter, the internet was abuzz, placing bets on both sides. Who would win old media or young upstart? The competition became more intriguing when it was revealed that CNN didn't actually own @cnnbrk, the username that was amassing the large number of followers. In the end, Kutcher won the bet and CNN now has one of the most followed Twitter accounts dedicated to breaking news.

#CNNfail

Twitter users turned the tables on CNN and called out the network for its lack of coverage of the recent Iran voting protests. Using the hashtag #cnnfail, a seemingly endless stream of tweets admonished the network to dedicate more airtime to the story. In the end CNN complied, ironically using Twitter itself as a source for news reports from the country.

Live Webcasts

Many news networks offer online clips of previous broadcasts arranged neatly in video channels. CNN takes the idea a step further by offering live online simulcast of its television broadcast as well as live streaming video during special events such as the funeral for pop star Michael Jackson and the hearings for US Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. The online video strategy proved to be popular during the 2009 inauguration when an estimated 7.7 million viewers watched the event online. To add another layer of technical wizardry, a list of related Facebook status updates were streamed in a sidebar adjacent to the video.




And here is a timeline of these landmark moments, created by Kevin Sablan at Almighty Link using Dipity. Many thanks to Kevin for creating this visual example.




Also on 10,000 Words:

• CNN headlines themselves making news
• 7 Eye-popping interactive timelines (and 3 ways to create one)
• 10 Inspirational New York Times multimedia and interactive features

Labels: citizen journalism, social networking, video

In the pre-internet era of television and radio, news stations could get away with 5-minute traffic reports that may or may not have covered the area the viewer was concerned about. Nowadays, no one has the patience to sit through a broadcast; they want to log on to the web, find the traffic alerts that affect them and be on their way.

Map mashups have made spotting local vehicular traffic as easy as pressing the zoom button. Google Maps itself added traffic information to its site last year, but it is the Maps API that is making traffic maps even more interactive.

iMove, which focuses on the traffic of the Vancouver area, has mashed a Google map with construction and traffic alerts, as well as traffic camera locations, weather alerts and local transit information. Users can select what they'd like to see from a series of drop down menus. The selected data is also viewable in a table below the map.



Similar maps based on various technologies are available for many parts of the world, including France, Colorado, Ottawa and England.

History is the best teacher and there is no better lesson than analyzing the roads where fatal accidents have occurred. Risky Roads, previously featured in this post, uses color-coded markers to illustrate dangerous roads across the United States. The site uses readily available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and has breakdowns for all 50 states.

Triptop NYC is another handy map that, instead of plotting real-time traffic patterns, estimated the commute between any two points in New York City. The map is not only visually stunning, it is also extremely helpful.



Of course, traffic is not limited to cars and trucks traveling on land. MarineTraffic.com maps the real-time movement of ships as they travel around the globe. As one can imagine there can be many ships traveling in any one area, so the site uses quadrants to indicate how many nautical navigators are traveling in a given area. The type of ship can be narrowed down using the checkbox system in the left rail.



The following visualization of Twitter users who have just landed from their airline flights shows that maps don't have to be static to be informative. Find out more about how this video was created here.




Web 2.0 technology means users can share traffic information with each other, creating citizen-fueled traffic reports that rival mainstream media sources. Trapster uses mobile technology to let its users plot speed traps and avoid traffic tickets. Users can submit a speed trap via their cell phone or by calling a toll-free number. By downloading the Trapster application, anyone can be alerted of speed traps in the immediate area.

Commuter Feed harnesses the power of Twitter to get traffic updates for cities around the world. Recent accidents and traffic delays can also be found by searching Twitter for location-based tweets (e.g. "traffic accident near:90018") or from from any of the Twitter accounts dedicated to area traffic reports, including @nyctraffic and @lasvegasweather




Hat tip to Google Maps Mania for the links and inspiration.


Also on 10,000 Words:

• 10 Mind-blowing maps (and 3 ways to create them)
• Weather 2.0: Interactive online tools for keeping tabs on Mother Nature
• How to quickly track natural disasters online
• 8 Ways of visualizing the news
• 5 Ways to create a Google Map in minutes

Labels: maps, social networking

1. The White House

Just a few months ago, the new presidential administration was greeted with antiquated computers and technology that forbade access to social networks like Facebook or even outside email. Fast forward to today and there are now a variety of ways to connect and interact online with the White House.

The official White House site has been revamped and updated to include a blog to keep the world abreast of President Obama and crew. The site also contains a number of photo slideshows based largely on photos from the official Flickr photostream.



The White House's official YouTube channel contains loads of speeches and press briefings and — to dispel earlier allegations of technology favoritism — the same content is also available on Vimeo.

After Barack Obama's landmark use of social networking during his presidential campaign it should come as no surprise that the White House is also friending people across the world. The president's pad has more than 126,000 followers on Twitter and follows a number of government agencies, including FEMA and NASA.

The White House also has more than 205,000 fans on Facebook and the president himself has more than six million fans, more than anyone else on the site. The White House is also on MySpace, along with both President Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden.

2. The Vatican

As highlighted in this month's issue of mental_floss magazine, The Vatican — the centuries-old religious institution — is also down with new technology.

The official newspaper of The Vatican, L'Osservatore Romano, is available online in several languages as are many programs from Vatican Radio. The official radio station of Vatican City also has podcasts available for listening or to download.


Flickr photo of Pope Benedict XVI by Paul Resh

The Vatican's official YouTube has almost 200 videos that range from morning prayers to papal visits. The Vatican even has its own iPhone app that contains prayers and scriptural readings and is available in six languages.

3. Major League Baseball

MLB has all the bases covered with its wide range of ways to follow games electronically. The most impressive offering is MLB.TV, a subscription service where baseball fans can watch live games online in high definition. The site streams 100 games a week to hundreds of thousands of subscribers and the quality is hard to match.

If you prefer your baseball on the go, MLB has a series of iPhone apps including MLB At Bat, where fans can find the latest scores, standings and schedules, and MLB World Series 2009, an interactive game that features all 30 MLB clubs.

The official MLB site contains various other ways to get your baseball fix, including a series of blogs, podcasts, video clips and photo galleries. There is also an official Facebook page where social networkers can step up to the plate.

4. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

The FBI, America's hub of criminal investigation with a reputation for secrecy, recently announced a slew of online efforts that will make the agency more open and approachable.

The Bureau's official Twitter feed shares criminal alerts and press releases with its thousands of followers and similar content is shared on the official FBI Facebook page. The videos featured on the FBI's YouTube channel give an insider's view of such operations as bomb training and prostitution stings.



In an effort to spread news of and apprehend the fugitives on its famed Most Wanted List, the FBI also has several widgets available that anyone can embed on their blog, site or social network profile and apparently the new media approach is working. The widgets have directed more than 2.5 million people to the FBI website and the Most Wanted widget averages more than a thousand views a day, according to a press release.

The FBI even plans to take its Most Wanted list to Second Life where virtual visitors can keep tabs on real-life criminals.



Also on 10,000 Words:

• 12 Things to tell your tech-impaired editor
• Great online journalism from non-traditional journalists
• Create brilliant multimedia projects from the mundane
• Visual and interactive guides to the economic crisis
• Sports arenas: How to put a multimedia twist on traditional coverage

Labels: audio, photos, social networking, video, widgets