Twitter has become reflective of a global culture, and created a culture all its own. A quick browse of the day’s trending topics will serve you well at a business meeting or cocktail party when you need a piece of topical humor. Indeed, when an earthquake shook the east coast last week, Twitter was flooded with updates and photos. Twitter allows for more than simply personal quips; it allows for shortened news updates, snappy editorial commentary, and even endorsements.
According to CNN, Yahoo, Fox, and E! Entertainment News, Kim Kardashian (a professional ________?) makes $10,000 for every 140-character blurb she Tweets. Celebrities wield immense power to make or break brands by mentioning them on Twitter, and brands are cashing in on the audience. Many have been shocked and dismayed by the revelation that brands would pay celebrity Twits to mention them to their followers, but isn’t that the exact game we’re all playing? We Tweet to be heard. If someone had a larger megaphone, wouldn’t you use it?
When Facebook hit the masses, many people hadn’t mastered the idea of “privacy” (and the fact that in a virtual world, there is none), and exercised no filter in their posts and pictures. Some of that has changed, thanks to a few stories of people losing jobs and spouses thanks to their Facebooking. Facebook has even been essential in solving crimes and prosecuting offenders.
Because one of Twitter’s features is the ability to “Follow” someone without their consent or knowledge, the scope and magnitude of a popular person’s Tweets are immense. For celebrities who MoneyTweet, it’s been a positive addition to their personal brand. However, it’s landed others in hot water with agents, labels, and even the law.
Johnny Gill, the former frontman for popular R&B group New Edition is one of many to have suffered backlash from his Tweets. He Tweeted that Notifi Records, his record label, had leaked one of his songs using another artist to supplement vocals. He also badmouthed Notifi’s CEO, calling her “f_ing nuts” among other things. Notifi’s CEO Ira DeWitt has filed suit for libel and is seeking punitive damages as well as an injunction.
Leeward Legality 