It used to be that you got breaking news in front of the television set or on the radio in your car. But with readily accessible online news, how we get information has also changed rather dramatically. If you’re looking for live breaking news online, here are some reasons why you should consider Twitter.

Ideal for Mobile Users

Twitter may in fact be the best medium for receiving news as soon as it happens, in part because it is ideal for sending and receiving news updates while on the go. In fact, three out of four Twitter users each month–roughly 173 million people in all–access their accounts via mobile devices, according to 2013 statistics published by SocialMediaToday.com.

Headlines, Short and Sweet

Further more the paradigm of Twitter itself is tailor-made for headlines, because tweets can be no longer than 140 characters. In many cases, when a publication, organization, or individual wants to report a new piece of information, their tweets consist of the headline and the corresponding link, so that users can easily read the news content on their own time, how they see fit.

Instantaneous Updates

Perhaps the most compelling reason that Twitter is so conducive to online breaking news is that Twitter feeds are updated live and in real time. There is no need to wait for information because it can be published instantaneously. And with 5,700 tweets published each second, there is no shortage of pertinent news to access.

Hashtags

Twitter’s version of “top News Stories” is encompassed in the sue of hashtags, which are connoted with the symbol “#.” This allows Twitter users to search for trending stories on a particular person or topic. This way, you can get information regarding a specific news event from multiple sources.

If you have further questions, comments, or tips on how to use Twitter as a source for live breaking news online, be sure to let your thoughts be heard in the forum below.