Citizen photo of Hudson River plane crash shows Web's reporting power

LAT ^ | January 15, 2009 | unknown

[Daffynition]

The astounding photo below, apparently taken from a river ferry by traveler and Twitter user Janis Krums, is one of the earliest photos to emerge of the US Airways crash into the Hudson River in New York City.  Krums apparently snapped the photo with his iPhone and uploaded it to the Twitter photo service Twitpic, which was instantly brought to its knees by exploding online interest in the image. 

This may be among the most striking instances yet of instant citizen reporting, a trend that was visible in the Mumbai terror attacks and has come to use the micro-blogging service Twitter as its main conduit for hyperfast transmission of info-snippets and photographs. In this case, it was possible through the iPhone, an all-in-one communications device that can capture and send images in no time. 

Hat tip Silicon Alley Insider.

-- David Sarno

Photo credit: Janis Krums via Twitpic

Permalink | Comments (6)

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[Daffynition]

We're all potential instant news reporters ... the power is shifting. Interesting.

[the invisib1e hand]

Interesting.

Double-edged-sword alert.

***

I'm astounded at the odds of this thing turning out so well. I'd place somewhere near "miraculous."

The pilot's a hero.

[GeronL]

but but but he is not a professional.. he is not a “real” journalist or photo journalist... he needs to be stopped, he might leak the truth about liberals accidently...

[Dallas59]

True....Where are the references to Bush and war crimes? Why did he not link the photo to Palestine and the outrage? Where are the references to Climate Change? People like this must be stopped./s

[Osage Orange]

WOW!

[Daffynition]

In the sense that some photographed “news” stories might be bogus or worse yet, staged .... I think the new devices with instant capabilities sure puts a wrinkle in the reporting business. Remains to be seen how this pans out.

[Revolting cat!]

Damn, another delayed flight and lost luggage!

[GeronL]

Exactly, he has failed as a “true” journalist. It just goes to show that citizens cannot be journalists

[Dallas59]

AND....there are no commercials or ads on his pic....The horror....

[Daffynition]

Posting on a Hudson crash thread earlier, I thought the same thing.

I do wonder how many of the passengers will have a renewed interest in religion now.

[GeronL]

Not even a Pepsi logo calling Obama the man who will refresh America? Jail time should apply.

[ETL]

And it all happened a mere block or so from where the Intrepid is docked. Intrepid is at 46th St, the plane belly landed at 48th St.

http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=40.777406&lon=-73.964035&zoom=14

[Revolting cat!]

I thought about going to Europe and picking some important docs there this coming summer, and I decided that it’ll be safer sending them by registered snail mail!

[Dallas59]

OUTRAGEOUS!!!!

[RandyGH]

Amateur! Not a single mention of global warming. Leave it to professionals, trained at our finest J-schools.

[Daffynition]

Yes.

The pilot will be a hot commodity for the MSSnooze.

[cripplecreek]

Not even a Pepsi logo calling Obama the man who will refresh America? Jail time should apply.

I've been working on photoshop all night and just shut it down but I'll get right on that first thing in the morning. LOL

[Daffynition]

If we review the stats, I think you’d be very safe on a flight. Just make sure it’s an Airbus. ;D

[GeronL]

Those geese were only there because of global warming for crying out loud.

[SauronOfMordor]

I'm astounded at the odds of this thing turning out so well. I'd place somewhere near "miraculous." The pilot's a hero.

The pilot is a superman.

He landed with zero margin for error. If he hadn't kept it precisely level, if one wing had touched the water a second before the other, it would have put the plane into a spin that would have ripped it to shreds, scattering bodies all along the river.

USAir needs to hand this guy a huge bonus.

[ETL]

Check out the satellite view of the Intrepid (you have to click on ‘Satellite’ on the right-hand side of the map)

http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=s&lat=40.764511&lon=-73.999762&zoom=18

[Peanut Gallery]

ping

[PistolPaknMama]

he is not a “real” journalist or photo journalist... he needs to be stopped

Hopefully somebody will pull his tax records, child support records, speeding tickets, grocery store bonus card credits.../S

[Clinging Bitterly]

I heard on, I think, O’Reiley that US Airways has flown something like 1.5 billion passengers without a fatality. And putting one down in the Hudson River today and still no fatalities is a pretty darn good safety record. Any plane having a so-called “water landing” at 100-150 MPH would normally be in more than one piece at the end.

So the passengers have an unusual problem - filing claims for damaged luggage.

[knarf]

"Where are the references to Climate Change?"

It's right there, Dallas59.

The water isn't frozen = gorebull warming

The water is freezing cold = climate change.

Airlines are federally controlled = Bush's fault.

I knew you could see it.

[Bahbah]

He landed with zero margin for error. If he hadn't kept it precisely level, if one wing had touched the water a second before the other, it would have put the plane into a spin that would have ripped it to shreds, scattering bodies all along the river.

What you said. A former Air Force pilot. Unbelievable skill and the coolest head on the planet. His mission was his passengers safety. Mission accomplished. And he toured the fuselage to be sure they was no one left on the plane before he left it.

[TribalPrincess2U]

Instant color photo and first hand news. Not some commentary’s views.
Wow, the newspapers never give us that.

[GeronL]

Thats probably the biggest reason they are closing down

[jimfree]

This is not only instant, it is quite well composed under the circumstances. Had a member of the annointed media taken it, it might receive some honor or the other.

[johnnycap]

...not to be too critical but what’s with all the spooge on the lens???

:)

[nuconvert]

I believe that’s “spooge” on the window of the ferry

[LibFreeOrDie]

One of the plane descending over the river, originally posted at the blog shown on the photo:

[SunkenCiv]

Ping!