Internet: A Stronger Force Than Realized
Monday, January 25, 2010
Hope for Haiti Now
What were your plans last Friday night? For over 36 million people, their plans included viewing a live broadcast of "Hope for Haiti Now," a Haitian earthquake relief benefit in which over 100 celebrities entertained viewers.
"Expect this to dominate both the Internet and the television tomorrow night," wrote Mashable's Samuel Axon, regarding Friday night's broadcast of "Hope for Haiti Now." Axon was right. The event aired all over the world via television and live streams on the Internet.
The big surprise was not how much the benefit raised, almost $60 million, but rather how many viewers it received. Sixteen million viewers tuned in to watch the event from their television screens. However, a whopping 20 million people caught the benefit online. Axon also stated that over 30 networks were involved in the "Hope for Haiti Now" broadcast, including MTV, CNN, CBS and other major networks.
The fact that more viewers caught the broadcast online than on television goes to show how much the times have changed. The Internet has come a long way already, but is still becoming an increasingly powerful force in terms of how they present the latest news to the world.
2 comments:
I loved your article, Katelyn. I watched the live broadcast of "Hope for Haiti Now" and found it inspiring. Your articles feature good information, but is still interesting and pleasing to read. Nice work!
I'm glad the Hope for Haiti Now was avaible for people online. A lot of recent events that has effected people across America for example Michael Jackson's Funeral and obviously important events like 2008 elections were also online for the new generation. This gives people different options for viewing these important issues.
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