The world’s social media was abuzz last night following the announcement of the violent death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

Erick Schonfeld, writes:

many people first heard about the news on Twitter, but more often than not the original source of that news could be traced back to mainstream media. Although some unwitting on-the-ground reporting occurred on Twitter as well, Bin Laden’s death was confirmed by mainstream media (CNN, NYT, etc).

…Twitter does not supplant other media, it amplifies it.

Many studies have shown that the vast majority of the media shared in social media communities, are sourced from the traditional, mass media outlets. The early promise of blogging as challenging the gatekeepers of mass media organizations has almost completely disappeared.

Social media has largely become Social Distribution Of Mass Media – SoDOMM.

Please see:

The Demise Of Social Media And The Return Of Mass Media – SVW

Study Shows How Social Media Amplifies Mass Media – SVW

Who Says What to Whom on Twitter | Yahoo! Research

[Cross-posted at Silicon Valley Watcher]