Twitter, the popular micro-blogging service, isn’t being utilised properly by South African newspaper publishers. Internationally Twitter is being used by media organisations as diverse as CNN and the NYTimes to push breaking news to subscribers. Big name local brands such as The Star, Beeld, Die Burger, the Cape Times, the Sowetan and others are still missing in action. So which South African newspapers make use of Twitter?
Date or survey – December 4&5, 2008 (Ranked by popularity) [TABLE=2]
IOL came in at first place which is a little bit surprising. I expected it to be The Times which is must more innovative online. However its’ lengthy URL makes it difficult to find, the same can be said for that of the Mail & Guardian (I had to ask Mark’s followers on Twitter where I could find it – thanks Simone). Tech savvy local paper Grocotts Mail managed to attract more attention than the M&G on Twitter.
Just as a comparison here is a look at some of the international subscriber figures:
Name & URL and No Followers
The New York Times 13985
Financial Times 685
Detroit Free Press 701
Just to provide some context to these numbers, the NY Times uses multiple Twitter accounts so readers 
only need to subscribe to the channels they prefer, be it sport, finance or world news. FT’s numbers are low because they have to use an awful URL (FTfinancenews). Why they didn’t just use their website URL is beyond me.
Publishers need to wake up and register their brand names on this service before they lose out as @rapport and others already have.
Follow MarkLives on Twitter @marklives
If you find other news organisations online let me know so I can add them to the list. Check back in January for an updated list.