Week 2 Inquiry - Trendsmap

I have reviewed some of the trending Twitter hash tags and topics for Sydney today, most of the Twitter trends surrounding #borderforce #border and #operationfortitude hash tags. I immediately recognise the hash tags as I heard about the story on Sunrise this morning, which involved the Australian Border Force conducting visa checks and checking for anti-social behaviour around Melbourne, which sparked outrage from the public. The operation has now been cancelled, however the Twitter storm hasn't died down just yet. 

Upon looking into articles, there are many tweets embedded into each article, providing further insight into the article and backing up facts. The following tweet is featured in an article by The Age about the cancellation of Operation Fortitude, the tweet adds another dimension to the article, by catching the readers attached and reinforcing with the audience that this is an issue that is trending on social media websites. 

The general consensus on social media is that Operation Fortitude is unnecessary in Australia, especially Melbourne, which is one of the most multicultural cities in the world. The media have portrayed this in the key messages of their articles, and have subtly influenced the readers opinion by including Tweets from other people who have a strong opinion on the situation. 

The amazing thing about Operation Fortitude is that many media outlets are stating that Twitter is to blame for the cancellation of the operation. An article from the Sydney Morning Herald features many tweets that use humour to outline the racist nature of Operation Fortitude, some of the tweets featured on the article include: 

The Victorian Police also used Twitter to distribute their media release about the cancellation of Operation Fortitude, which was a suitable platform for the information, given the massive response on Twitter to the issue. Although the event was cancelled, the backlash on Twitter did not die down at all, the Australian Government and MP's are being asked publicly to further explain their decision to form Operation Fortitude and be accountable for the racist nature of the situation. 

References

Aubusson, K. (2015). Twitter tracked to downfall of Operation Fortitude one Simpsons meme at a time. [online] The Sydney Morning Herald. Available at: http://www.smh.com.au/national/twitter-tracked-to-downfall-of-operation-fortitude-one-simpsons-meme-at-a-time-20150828-gja6zn.html [Accessed 29 Aug. 2015].

Facebook.com, (2015). Victoria Police - Victoria Police has made a decision not... | Facebook. [online] Available at: https://www.facebook.com/victoriapolice/posts/941373445934792 [Accessed 29 Aug. 2015].

Schetzer, A. and Mills, T. (2015). Border Force: Operation Fortitude cancelled as protesters take to Melbourne's CBD streets. [online] The Age. Available at: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/border-force-operation-fortitude-cancelled-as-protesters-take-to-melbournes-cbd-streets-20150828-gja3mp.html [Accessed 29 Aug. 2015].

Trendsmap.com, (2015). Real-time local Twitter trends - Trendsmap. [online] Available at: http://trendsmap.com/# [Accessed 29 Aug. 2015].