IN AN effort to track how the child kidnapping rumour spread online, the Saturday Dispatch this week contacted Johannesburg online monitoring and insights company Brandseye.
Using Brandseye’s monitoring programmes – developed by the company to track online conversations around brands – the Dispatch found at the height of last week’s panic, tens of thousands of people came in contact with the misinformation.
On Twitter alone, the most widely shared tweet reached over 22000 people within seconds as it was re-posted and shared by other East Londoners.
The tweet in question originated from the Twitter account of a popular local radio DJ and television presenter, followed by 2633 other Twitter users.
Posted at 1.36pm on November 1, the tweet read: “PLZ RT!!!---> There is an syndicate kidnapping in the East London already a estimate of 6 kids have been up abducted. Please be alert ”.
This tweet was reposted (or retweeted) by at least 30 other East London-based Twitter users – each with between 100 and 4000 followers. — michelles@dispatch.co.za
Tracking online sources of the child rumours
Using Brandseye’s monitoring programmes – developed by the company to track online conversations around brands – the Dispatch found at the height of last week’s panic, tens of thousands of people came in contact with the misinformation.
On Twitter alone, the most widely shared tweet reached over 22000 people within seconds as it was re-posted and shared by other East Londoners.
The tweet in question originated from the Twitter account of a popular local radio DJ and television presenter, followed by 2633 other Twitter users.
Posted at 1.36pm on November 1, the tweet read: “PLZ RT!!!---> There is an syndicate kidnapping in the East London already a estimate of 6 kids have been up abducted. Please be alert ”.
This tweet was reposted (or retweeted) by at least 30 other East London-based Twitter users – each with between 100 and 4000 followers. — michelles@dispatch.co.za
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